Walk and talk

By Ciara Corcoran

On April 5^th we will be collaborating with Mary I and LIT in an event called ‘Walk and Talk’. This is a 5km walk in aid of Pieta House. We all love the idea of the Darkness into Light but it always happens during our exams. So, we’ve decided to hold our own walk, bringing all of Limerick’s students together in unity to promote positive mental health and the importance of talking to one another. This is simply a walk, not a run that you need to be fit for, just a bit of exercise to help improve our mental health and a chance to talk to our friends and other students about our own situations.

This event will start in the Potato Market at 8pm with some music and activities with Richie from the Arena. We’ll then go through the town, along the CSPP route, and back to the Milk Market for an after party in the Library. Entry will be no more than €10 with proceeds going to Pieta House and their fantastic service. There will be a bus going from UL into town before the walk begins so look out on the event page for more info. We also have a limited number of event t-shirts to make the night even more memorable.

Over 130 students die by suicide each year and we don’t want Limerick to be part of that statistic. We are all students, we go through many of the same struggles and obstacles so why not come out and stand up for positive mental health? We want to make this event great and your participation is needed for this to happen. This is part of our Mental Health Week and is an opportunity to link in with the other colleges in Limerick and some of the fantastic mental health services available to students.

We have all been affected by suicide or mental health in one way or another and young people are one of the most vulnerable so why not get involved and help get our young people talking and out moving.

If you have been affected by mental health issues or suicide here are some numbers to contact:

UL Counselling 061 202327

Pieta House 061 484444

Console 1800 247 247

Walk in my Shoes  01 249 3555

Samaritans  116 123