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The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
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Action Mental Health

  • Status

    Received: on time

  • Income

    £7.1M

  • Spending

    £7.4M

Charity no. 100753 Date registered. 23/02/2015

Public benefits

AMH provides direct benefit to clients throughout NI affected by mental ill health, learning disability, substance abuse and/or other disabilities through training programmes which assist them to recover and gain qualifications and skills that help them gain employment or lead more independent lives. The benefit is that clients are healthier, more

in control of their lives, feel included and contributing to society; this saves lives, saves money and contributes to greater well being and a healthier society overall. Clients come from all cultural backgrounds, including LBGT. AMH tailors support to clients from throughout NI and a key aspect of that support is to gain employment. Each AMH service in the region has employment specialists who liaise with clients and employers to ensure clients sustain any employment they have started. This is a direct benefit to clients as they gain employment, feel more included, get better and recover from mental health issues. Documented research shows this saves lives and money. AMH also delivers some DEL sponsored government employment programmes and as part of this AMH ensures those out of work, but with mental health issues, get into work and those already in work remain in work whilst still dealing with mental health issues. For these clients there is a direct benefit from these programmes as the chance of employment is increased and it helps them contribute economically to society by paying taxes and coming off benefits. AMH also provides direct benefit to clients by getting them involved in and contributing to activities which will make them better. They may learn cookery skills and work with supervision in one of AMH’s canteens and eventually gain qualifications to run it themselves and then progress to an external employer in a café or restaurant. Others may learn how to set up a business and become self employed. Although AMH has 12 training facilities where staff are permanently based (average 10-12 staff) there are a large number of clients receiving direct benefit of programmes in other facilities through outreach such as in libraries, health centres, hospitals, council offices etc. On average there are 750 clients a day in AMH services and about half of them would be reached through these outreach services. AMH has a growing number of awareness raising programmes which highlight the issues of mental health. These programmes reach about 8,000 young people, their carers and teachers/youth workers every year and the direct benefit of this is to build their emotional resilience for the future and to stop mental health issues starting in the first place. This benefits society by building well-being for the long term and preventing people going to GPs/hospitals.

What your organisation does

AMH supports people’s mental health and well-being through vocational training, employment guidance and personal development services. It has 12 service locations in Northern Ireland delivering projects based on the model of ‘recovery’ to over 3,000 adults annually, although delivery also increasingly takes place as ‘outreach’ in a variety of other

locations across the region. The 5 Health and Social Care Trusts are also increasingly asking AMH to run similar recovery services for younger people (16-25). The Trusts in NI refer clients to AMH on the basis that the clients are suitable for recovery services leading to employment. The services provide tailored programmes of training for individuals to help them gain accredited qualifications and skills to ideally gain employment and/or lead more independent lives. Clients can attend services every day or on a sessional basis to suit their needs. AMH staff assist clients to write CVs and apply for jobs as well as getting them training placements with employers. Once clients have secured employment AMH staff are available for up to 6 months to help the individual retain the job; AMH staff also advise and guide employers in how to support clients. Following this path to employment individuals hopefully recover from their mental health issues. AMH delivers emotional resilience building programmes and reaches over 8,000 young people, their teachers and carers through these activities in NI and cross border; a similar programme is delivered to prisoners. The charity operates three Mens’ Sheds which assist with older men's emotional well being. AMH delivers a 'Protect Life' contract in NI which has a whole population approach to building emotional resilience in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area. There are smaller ASD and Learning Disability projects designed to get people into employment. AMH also delivers DEL sponsored Government employment programmes to get people into work and keep them in work.

The charity’s classifications

  • The advancement of education
  • The advancement of health or the saving of lives
  • The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage

Who the charity helps

  • Addictions (drug/solvent/alcohol abuse)
  • Adult training
  • Carers
  • Children (5-13 year olds)
  • Ex-offenders and prisoners
  • General public
  • Men
  • Mental health
  • Older people
  • Parents
  • Preschool (0-5 year olds)
  • Sensory disabilities
  • Unemployed/low income
  • Victim support
  • Voluntary and community sector
  • Volunteers
  • Women
  • Youth (14-25 year olds)

How the charity works

  • Advice/advocacy/information
  • Counselling/support
  • Cross-border/cross-community
  • Disability
  • Education/training
  • Medical/health/sickness

This display is a broad summary of the charity’s financial information. For a full understanding of the charity’s finances, the reader should view the PDF accounts and reports under the Documents tab above.

Income

£7.1M

Spending

£7.4M

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 31 March 2024

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 31 March 2023

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 31 March 2022

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charitable purposes

4.1. The Charity's objects are specifically restricted to the following for the public benefit: 4.1.1. To provide assistance for persons affected by mental ill health, learning disability, physical disability, intellectual disability, substance abuse and/or other disabilities including without limitation vocational rehabilitation and training, therapeutic services/counselling for adults, children and families, personal development and guidance and other support services with a view to maintaining and improving the wellbeing of such persons to assist their return to fitness for purposeful activity. 4.1.2. To assist such persons whether or not they have completed training programmes on the Charity’s premises to secure employment in jobs appropriate to their capabilities and to provide, if required, follow-up guidance and support. 4.1.3. To carry on for the benefit of such persons activities in which the skills of such persons can be developed, which activities shall be carried on wholly or largely by means of the efforts of such persons. 4.1.4. To provide outreach services in support of people recovering from mental ill health and/or other disabilities. 4.1.5. To provide mental health and wellbeing support to military veterans, victims and survivors, prisoners/people in the criminal justice system and minority groups e.g. Ethnic Minorities, Travellers, LGBT, Asylum seekers/refugees and other minority groups. 4.1.6. To promote awareness of the issues of mental health and other related issues to the public at large. Nothing in the articles shall authorise an application of the property of the Charity for purposes which are not charitable in accordance with s.2 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.

Governing document

Memorandum and Articles

Other name

AMH
  • 14 Trustees
  • 204 Employees
  • 10 Volunteers

Contact details

Public address

  • Ms Carol Chesney, Action Mental Health, 27 Jubilee Road, Newtownards, County Down, BT23 4YH

Trustee board

Trustee
Billy Kohner
Diarmuid Mckeown
Angela Craigan
Billy Mckeown
Damian P Mcauley
Jonathan Mcadams
Susan Cooke
Roisin Kelly
Gerard Lynch
Mr Jonathan O'brien
Mr Roger Pannell
Mr Paul Corr
Mr Kevin Mcparland
Ms Leeanne Fleck

List of regions

  • In Northern Ireland