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Welcome to  HEADSUP Kildare

HEADSUP Kildare is an interagency programme managed in by County Kildare Leader Partnership. Originally a pilot project focusing on Kildare town, it was established as a county wide programme in June 2016 as recommended by an external evaluation.

HEADSUP is an evidence-based mental health education and training programme for people who are finding life stressful, have issues with unemployment, feel isolated or lonely and wish to explore and learn positive ways of managing and improving their overall wellbeing. This group programme aims to encourage participants to make positive changes to their lives, develop resilience and offers support to access local services and supports.

HEADSUP gives people an opportunity to build on their mental and physical fitness while developing an ability to make connections, set goals and develop a life plan to ‘get back on-track’.

The programme covers 4 elements:

1. Wellbeing and Resilience – supports men who have been experiencing adversity to gain an understanding of mental health recovery & wellness so that they can build their resilience and respond positively to stress and stressful situations. Over the duration of the programme, participants learn to recognise the signs of stress and distress and, in turn, are supported to identify and choose more positive responses.

2. Life Planning – enables men to find their ‘mojo – participants are supported to identify and achieve their personal goals and to access the supports and services available to them.

3. Physical Wellbeing – recognising the strong correlation between good physical and mental health, participants are encouraged to move more and build on their physical fitness

4. Positive Social Support  –  encourages men to get to know others, develop connections and supports networking

Programmes are provided right across the county including Kildare town, Newbridge, Athy, Allenwood, Celbridge, Clane, Maynooth and Naas.

What's happening in HEADSUP Kildare

HEADSUP Kildare are delighted to announce that we will be running an 8-week evidence-based skills programme for men in Clane and surrounding areas, commencing January 2025 and another 10-week programme in Naas in May 2025.

For more information on our programme, contact Deirdre 085 1068305 or Lorna 085 8421347 to register your interest.

HEADSUP Kildare Programme in Clane, January 2025

Selection of Pottery made by participants during one of our creative sessions
     
     

Programmes in Kildare

During 2023 HEADSUP Kildare ran its first ever women's programme which was a wonderful success.

"·     The programme was very beneficial for my mental health, everyone was so encouraging and helpful"

·      " I would highly recommend the programme"

·      "The facilitators of the course were amazing, they made the content come alive and showed how applicable what we learned is to all areas of life"

·      " I have learned from this programme the work that I need to do on myself and would highly recommend it"

·"The best course I've done to date on mental health, thoroughly enjoyed it despite finding it hard at times"

HEADSUP Kildare have teamed up with Healthy Ireland Kildare to run a series of workshops - WRAP in the community.

Keep an eye on our social media pages for locations in 2024.

Meet the team

Deirdre Bigley
HEADSUP KILDARE Coordinator
Deirdre Bigley is the HEADSUP Kildare Programme Coordinator since June 2021 and was the Life Planning Coordinator before that. She brings many years of experience to the role of both group facilitation working with adults and young people in a community and educational setting as well having a MA in Management in the not for profit sector. She passionately believes in the value of group work and its transformational power. Deirdre takes care of her mental health through singing in a chorus, escaping reality through reading, enjoying cooking for friends and she loves meeting up with friends
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Lorna McNamee
Administrator
Lorna McNamee is the Administrator for HEADSUP Kildare. Lorna started working with HEADSUP Kildare in June 2017 and brings her many years of administrative experience. For her mental heath Lorna enjoys going for a walk, spending time with family and meeting up with friends.
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Health & Wellbeing Facilitator
Health & Wellbeing Facilitator
Claire McAlinden is one of our Health and Well-being Facilitators and started working with HEADSUP Kildare in 2023. Claire is bringing 20 years of experience working with both young people and adults in youth and community development settings. She has experience and background in group facilitation and 1-1 settings, working around mental health and well-being, health promotion, crisis intervention, personal development, gender and identity and Intercultural work. To keep well Claire enjoys music, spending time with friends and mindfulness practice.
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Teresa Hennessy
Health and Wellbeing Facilitator
Teresa Hennessy is a Health & Wellbeing Facilitator with the Headsup Kildare programme with over 25 years experience of facilitating groupwork in a variety of settings from schools and communities to prisons and workplaces through her previous roles in the HSE and in the voluntary sector. She has an MA in Health Promotion and is a MIndfulness & Positive Psychology tutor. One thing Teresa loves to do to look after her mental health is to walk in the woods or on a beach.
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Upcoming Events in HEADSUP Kildare

6 week Programme Athy September  2024

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HEADSUP on Facebook

HEADSUP on Twitter

Calendar of Upcoming Events

6 week Programme Athy
September 2024

6 week Programme Kilcock October 2024

Calendar available on desktop & iPad only.

Join the Heads Up family

We work with all walks of society to help you achieve your life's potential....

Make an Appointment
location icon HEADSUP

HEADSUP South Dublin

david.hamill@sdcpartnership.ie

David HamillHEADSUP South Dublin
South Dublin County Partnership.
4th Floor, County Hall, Belgard Square North,
Tallaght,
Dublin 24
D24 A3XC 

> find out more
location icon HEADSUP

HEADSUP Dublin 8-10-12

tconroy@bcpartnership.ie

Tom Conroy
HEADSUP Dublin 8-10-12
Ballyfermot/Chapelizod Partnership,
4 Drumfinn Park,
Ballyfermot,
Dublin 10
D10 AY66

>find out more
location icon HEADSUP

HEADSUP Kildare

deirdre@countykildarelp.ie

Deirdre Bigley
HEADSUP Kildare,
County Kildare Leader Partnership
Kildare Community Development Centre
Meadow Road, Kildare,
Co. Kildare.
R51 RF88

> find out more

COVID UPDATE

If you, or someone you know is in crisis and needs support, please call or access the following link for helplines:
Mental health supports and helplines during Covid19

Due to Covid19 safety measures we have adapted our way of supporting to keep people safe and well. As such, we are presently delivering the Heads Up programme via Zoom and are offering psychosocial support over the phone when required. We look forward to meeting up again in person as soon as it is safe to do so until then please contact us for further information about upcoming programmes online.
Take care.”

Mental Health Ireland – 5 ways to well being