The Make the Moove charity has launched a new free service for communities that have been impacted by tragedies.
The crisis response team will be made available to any community which has been severely impacted by a particular event.
The team is staffed by former members of the Irish Defence Forces who have developed the skills required over many years to commence the healing process.
They will also carry out mental first aid triage and will refer people for further assistance.
Charity
Make the Moove is a charity within a charity that was founded by Macra members in north Tipperary in 2018 to address the rise in the levels of self-harm and suicide amongst farmers and other rural dwellers.
This new community initiative is supported by the University College Dublin (UCD) Agri Mental Health Group.
Research released by the group in October 2022 found that almost 25% of farmers surveyed were in danger of suicide.
Make the Moove and UCD were brought together by the FBD Trust in recognition that both organisations have “a common purpose”.
The FBD Trust was founded to fund philanthropic works that support farmers and their communities.
Chair of the FBD Trust, Michael Berkery said it was proud to support this “vital initiative which provides services that can and has saved lives”.
Commenting at the launch, Macra president Elaine Houlihan said: “Too many of us have seen tragedy begotten of tragedy, we hope that the crisis response team will help to break this vicious cycle that is breaking our communities apart.
“If we cannot support our rural communities in their most difficult times, then we are no longer a society that we should be proud of,” she added.
Make the Moove can be contacted by emailing [email protected] or through the Make the Moove website.