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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£196.9K
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Spending
£121.3K
Public benefits
The main purpose of Listening Ear is the advancement of health or the saving of lives. Through its range of mental health programmes to support those undergoing a mental health crisis, Listening Ear will help people improve their mental health and reduce the number of individuals at risk of suicide in Northern Ireland, with a particular focus on
Newtownabbey. Health will be benefited through the opportunity for people to volunteer as part of the project either through answering phones, admin or supporting additional projects such as courses, food drives etc. This will benefit both the volunteer through improved community connections and reduction of isolation and those who avail of the services offered. Listening Ear is a mental health organisation. Our main focus is on supporting people through a mental health crisis and helping to provide individuals with the tools necessary in order to enable their mental health to improve. We offer a 24/7 emergency helpline for anyone undergoing a mental health crisis. The service is answered by people who have obtained at least their OCN Level 2 Listening Ear Empathetic Listening Training. We also offer the option for people to receive regular calls from a trained individual as a means of providing consistent support to anyone undergoing a period of mental ill-health or requiring additional support on a regular basis. We provide and seek training on a regular basis in order to ensure are volunteers are well equipped to support our clients. We run courses and sessions related to mental health open to the public. This is in order to help de-stigmatise mental health, enable people to understand the myriad of mental health issues and causes, and support people to find the means to look at their own and others mental health. A second purpose of Listening Ear is the prevention or relief of poverty. Clients will benefit from the advice and support given by Listening Ear to help them obtain a better quality of life. This can be through support to alleviate debt, accessing benefits and budgeting. Clients will also benefit from the prevention of relief of poverty by accessing support to enable them to access work or to improve their skills to help them to progress to work with a higher financial gain. As a mental health charity we recognise the strong connection between poverty and mental ill-health. In so doing we believe it is vital that our clients are also given the support they need to enable them to move out of poverty. In order to do this we have volunteers trained in debt advice, housing advice and benefits advice. We provide support to help clients budget their spending. We also provide assistance to help people to re-enter the workplace when it is an appropriate time for them to do through helping with CVs and job searches and providing and/or signposting to relevant training. The benefits are demonstrated by the number of people availing of our phone line service either on a one-off basis for initial signposting or support, or on a regular basis in order to assist with their mental health recovery. Benefits are also noted in the increase of the number of volunteers, and the training they are able to avail of as part of their role. Often those availing in training participate in external groups such as local football teams, community groups etc and bring their new training to other aspects of community life. The benefits can also be demonstrated in the number of clients accessing debt, benefits and housing advice, availing of budgeting support and the increase in those entering new workplaces thanks to or job engagement opportunities and signposting. There is no harm arising from any of our purposes. Our charity's beneficiaries are far reaching. We aim to support anyone who approaches Listening Ear for support in Northern Ireland. An office based in a Neighbourhood Renewal area highlights the deep connection experienced between the impact of poverty and mental ill-health. Though our physical presence is embedded within this community, our phone service can be used by any person and we will aim to support every client no matter where they are. Though our direct beneficiaries tend to be adults, the knock-on effect often benefits younger people and children. In recognising this we both aim to provide additional support to the whole family structure where needed, including boosting financial stability where we can, but also by signposting to other relevant organisations with services complementing the needs of our clients. The only private benefit flowing for the work of Listening Ear is that volunteers may also use the services provided and this is incidental and necessary because it allows people using the service to direct the work of the organisation based on their own experiences.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
Help and support the community with mental health, suicide prevention, drugs and alcohol, awareness welfare and debt management. To deliver support to all sections of the community ensuring not to exclude anyone based on religious beliefs, political opinions, sexual orientation, gender, socio economic background, age, race, disabilities/ abilities
nor any other person within Northern Ireland Act 1998 section 75. To build capacity within the community by providing support, training and mentoring. To build community cohesion by helping address issues which are dividing families and communities. To provide a resource and a hub for intergenerational development and friendships. To address social isolation by the development of a Natter group and the Support and Survive group for those going through or have gone through the treatment of cancer. To partner with groups within the area to identify the needs of their members and work to address them. i.e. mobi changer, hoist and support of Abbey Allsorts. To act as a voice for the community and the individual when they feel they can not be heard. To liaise with statutory bodies to build a better community and ensure civic pride develops within the area Supporting clients impacted by threats; liaise with PSNI, HE and Base 2.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The prevention or relief of poverty
- The advancement of health or the saving of lives
Who the charity helps
- Addictions (drug/solvent/alcohol abuse)
- Adult training
- Carers
- Community safety/crime prevention
- General public
- Homelessness
- Men
- Mental health
- Older people
- Parents
- Physical disabilities
- Tenants
- Unemployed/low income
- Victim support
- Voluntary and community sector
- Volunteers
- Women
How the charity works
- Advice/advocacy/information
- Community development
- Community enterprise
- Counselling/support
- Disability
- Economic development
- Education/training
- General charitable purposes
- Medical/health/sickness
- Relief of poverty
- Volunteer development
