CHOICE - A Project from the Bamford Centre

A huge thank‑you to QUB - School of Psychology for inviting us to speak at their “Psychology & Personality Disorder Managed Care Network – Mental Health Outcomes, Postgraduate Research Symposium.”

We shared how the CHOICE Project supports people living with mental ill health by reducing isolation and loneliness through one‑to‑one support and community reconnection. With our partners offering hundreds of activities - from sports and arts to nature, hobbies, education, and more - there truly is something for everyone.

Carla and Gavin, volunteers from the CHOICE Realism Group, also spoke about their research project exploring the barriers people with mental ill health face in accessing education and further learning. They highlighted the importance of including people with lived experience in research, policy development, and decision‑making to ensure services genuinely meet the needs of those they aim to support.

PS, look how amazing the building is (Graduate Building at Queens)

Inspire MindWise Praxis Care Action Mental Health QUB - School of Psychology Gavin Boyd

📣 Calling all community groups and organisations across Northern Ireland!

We’re looking for inclusive, welcoming spaces to join CHOICE as community assets.

From art and music to sport, theatre, writing, and heritage, your group could help someone feel more connected in their community.

By joining CHOICE, you’ll:
• Be part of a growing network supporting inclusion
• Help people access community opportunities with confidence
• Be featured on our platform, used by Community Navigators

There’s no cost to take part - just a commitment to being open and inclusive.

👉 Get in touch or sign up today using the link in our bio

Inspire MindWise Praxis Care Action Mental Health Belfast Live

Our MindWise Community Navigator, Kelly Mitchell, tells us how she's taking action for others' mental health:

Since joining the CHOICE Project, I have been working closely with Ulster University on this research project. Through developing links in Larne, it became apparent that many people living with mental health conditions feel socially isolated.

Following lengthy conversations with my Larne clients about the limited social support available to them, I asked what would make a difference to their lives socially. Their answer was simple: more opportunities and availability for social groups.

This got me thinking… the best way for me to take action for my clients was to support them to develop a social support group in Larne, which could meet monthly to begin with and increase this as demand increases.

As one of the CHOICE community assets, Larne Museum kindly offered our new social group use of their rooms for free, as well as arranging meet and greets, and organising mini tours of the museum.

Taking Action…..This mental health awareness week, three of my Larne clients and I met at Larne Museum on Tuesday, 12th May 2026, to brainstorm ideas together for the new Larne CHOICE Social Group that we are developing and will be delivering in Larne with a start date for the end of June 2026.

MindWise Mental Health Foundation Inspire Praxis Care Action Mental Health Mental Health Matters By Kylie Verzosa Social Prescribing

Loneliness and isolation can be overwhelming for people living with a Mental Health Illness — but no one has to face it alone.

CHOICE is here to help individuals take action: become more social, learn a new skill, start a new hobby, or try an activity that brings joy and confidence.

With support from our team and over 50 community partners, there are opportunities in Sports, Arts, Crafts, Education, Nature, History and more.
Small steps can lead to big change. CHOICE will walk with you every step of the way.

Contact us for more info: [email protected]

Wishing everyone participating in the Marathon Good Luck, and all those behind the scenes also. It is amazing seeing so many people not just running for fun, but also to raise so much money for charity.

People living with a Mental Health Illness can often experience isolation and loneliness.

CHOICE, a partnership of four Mental Health Charities working alongside more than 50 community organisations, helps individuals reconnect, build confidence, and re‑engage with their community.

From Sports and Crafts to Arts, Further Education, Nature and History, and so much more, with over 50 partners, there truly is something for everyone.

MindWise Praxis Care Action Mental Health Inspire

For more information: choiceni.org
Or email: [email protected]

We’re delighted to introduce our new and exciting programme of social activities, designed to support people facing mental health challenges to connect, build confidence, and enjoy a fuller life within the Belfast community 💙

Whether you’re coming along yourself, with a family member, or as a friend, we warmly invite you to visit us in the community, meet our staff and members, and explore what we have to offer.

✨ Our activities include:
🚶 Walking Group
🎨 Art Club
📷 Photography Group
👥 Women’s & Men’s Groups
☕ Drop‑in sessions, pop in for a cuppa, a chat, and to meet others

Everyone is welcome. Come along, get involved, and be part of a supportive community.

Contact [email protected] to find out more.

Our colleague and member of our CHOICE team - Dr Pamela Whitaker is holding what is sure to be a fascinating seminar: Ecologies of care: Mobilising Health Assets within the Arts.

The seminar will take place at Clifton House on Thursday 15th May from 10am-1pm - Please see Eventbrite link below to book a place. Admission is free.

This seminar aims to explore the role of the arts in addressing health disparities and how access to the arts can be life changing.

What can arts spaces and organisations do to be more inclusive to ‘invisible’ populations?

While access to (and participation in) the arts can be life changing, many people find the path blocked. Evidence suggests that people with severe mental illness tend to be forgotten when social inclusion policies are written by organisations and put into practice. CHOICE seeks to improve the lives of people with long-term mental health problems by tackling the fundamental health and social inequalities they experience.

Guest speaker Aisling Kennedy joined Réalta (formerly Waterford Healing Arts Trust) in 2021 as Project Coordinator and Curator. In this role, she manages the Iontas Arts and Mental Health programme, the exhibitions programme, and the University Hospital Waterford (UHW) Art Collection. Réalta is a national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland. Locally, it delivers the extensive Waterford Healing Arts programme at UHW.

Previously, Aisling worked with the Arts in Health team at Children’s Health Ireland. She holds an MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management from University College Dublin and a BA in English Literature and Art History. She is also currently Deputy Chair of Arts + Health Coordinators Ireland, a support network for professionals managing arts + health programmes across the country.

With expertise in arts programming, curation, and project management, Aisling is passionate about making the arts accessible and meaningful in healthcare environments.

We seek to explore in this seminar how the arts could be more engaged in addressing the health disparities of this population.

Any queries contact Pamela Whitaker at [email protected]

Ecologies of Care: CHOICE Mobilising Health Assets within the Arts This seminar aims to explore the role of the arts in addressing health disparities and how access to the arts can be life changing.