A Guinness World Record attempt took place on the Joe Dolan Bridge, Mullingar, last Sunday morning, in aid of Hugs for Hope – an organisation that aims to help people suffering with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. The longest bridge in Ireland played host to the event which saw a turnout of hundreds. There to entertain them was Mullingar band Good Man Sheila, star of The Savage Eye (RTÉ2) John Colleary and CEO and founder of Cycle Against Suicide, Jim Breen, also attended the event, which saw people hug each other the full length of the bridge, which was closed to traffic for Sunday morning.
Mr. Colleary, who acted as MC for the event, told Topic. “I know Donal (Coade, one of the organisers) and he asked me about it and I thought it would be a very worthwhile thing to do. It’s a fun event and a great idea. Everybody has their moments and this event highlights the need to talk.”
Hugs for Hope, which was established just six weeks ago, came about when founder Donal Coade made an appeal on Facebook asking for volunteers who would be interested in forming a group to raise funds for anyone struggling with mental issues.
Mr. Coade told Topic,“Jack (Sleator) said that when you’re feeling that low, all you want is a hug and hope. Caroline (Sleator) put the two things together and said ‘hugs for hope’.”
Explaining his reasons for setting up the non-profit organisation, Mr. Coade said, “I suffered a brain tumour several years ago and I’ve met people throughout the last four years of my illness who are suffering with depression and anxiety. I wanted to give something back because I got a lot of help through ABI (Acquired Brain Injury Ireland) and they had a project here in town called Work4You that really helped me. I had to relearn to do a lot of things after recovering from the injury and the service provided me with free psychology and psychiatry sessions as well as confidence-building courses. However it is no longer available in Mullingar. So I wanted to give something back because I got that service for free.”
Mr. Breen, who set up Cycle Against Suicide three years ago, made a speech on the importance of offering support to anyone who may need it. “I’ve met people today here in Mullingar that I haven’t met since the cycle. Some of them are bereaved by suicide, some of them are battling their own mental health issues and some of them just want to show their support and let people know it is OK not to feel OK. It’s absolutely OK to ask for help.”
Hannah Lilly, a motivational running coach and blogger spoke at the event about her own personal experience with feeling suicidal. “I have a blog which I began as an experiment in order to make my life better and to try and see what I could do to make myself feel better. I’ve gone from wanting to kill myself to living an amazing life. It’s all about spreading the message that things get better.”
