Abbeycentre shines light on suicide prevention charity

Lighthouse, a suicide prevention charity based in Belfast, has teamed up with the Newtownabbey retail centre to receive donations through a number of innovative ideas.

These include coin collection points being positioned throughout the mall, while staff at the centre will be collecting money throughout the year with a programme of on-going activities. Some of these activities include ‘Bucket Busking’ with local bands to an ambitious record-breaking attempt. The partnership presents a unique opportunity for Lighthouse to interact with a diverse group of both staff and shoppers and it is hoped that the fundraising initiatives will raise awareness of the work of Lighthouse, while aiding further charitable development.

Mark Stewart, Abbeycentre Centre Manager said: “We chose to work with a smaller, local charity this year. Lighthouse is very close to our hearts, given the recent problems in our community and stigma surrounding mental health. We hope our collaboration with Lighthouse will raise much-needed funds, but also break the silence on mental health issues and inspire people to seek help. We take our corporate social responsibility seriously - rather than simply writing a cheque, we want to build an on-going partnership with Lighthouse which continues to deliver tangible benefits to our community and throughout NI.”

Jo Murphy, Lighthouse coordinator said: “Partnering with Abbeycentre offers fantastic opportunities for Lighthouse. As well as helping us raise vital funds for our work, the partnership enables us to raise awareness of Lighthouse and challenge the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

“We look forward to working with the Abbeycentre team and implementing weird and wacky ideas to really drive home the message that we are a beacon of hope and here for everyone.”