An agricultural shed worth €23,500 is the top prize in a raffle being held by Cycle Against Suicide on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
The shed has been donated by Fergus Lawlor, Park Engineering, and the winner of the raffle will be announced at 6:00p.m that day.
People are being urged to bolster vital mental health awareness and suicide prevention work by supporting the raffle.
Cycle Against Suicide is registered in Cork but is a national mental health awareness and suicide prevention charity with volunteers throughout the country.
The charity, which was founded in 2013, works across families, schools, communities and workplaces, promoting open conversations around mental health and working to reduce the stigma associated with suicide.
Cycle Against Suicide believes that everyone has a role to play in addressing the challenges suicide presents.
The charity sets out to foster a culture of openness and support through a comprehensive range of education programmes, training initiatives, community supports and awareness events.
Shed raffle
The shed raffle offers a simple but meaningful way to support this important work, with funds raised going directly towards the charity’s education, awareness, and community outreach programmes, according to Caroline Lafferty, CEO of Cycle Against Suicide.
She said: “Every raffle ticket purchased helps the charity to continue its work in communities across Ireland.
“Mental health affects every family, and community support like this allows us to reach more people.
“The charity is encouraging individuals, families, and local groups to get involved, support the shed raffle, and help make a positive difference in mental health awareness nationwide.”
In Ireland, the Central Statistics Office reported 512 deaths by suicide in 2021 – latest available data published in 2024 – with approximately 80% occurring among males.
Ireland also ranks third highest in Europe for incidence of mental illness, and untreated mental health difficulties are strongly associated with increased suicide risk, according to Cycle Against Suicide.
Despite the proven benefits of early intervention, only a small proportion of those affected access professional support, with stigma remaining the single greatest barrier, the charity said.
This, it contended, leads to untreated conditions, prolonged distress, and heightened risk.
Cycle Against Suicide
Founded on the belief that “it’s OK not to feel OK”, and “it’s absolutely OK to ask for help”, Cycle Against Suicide works to break down mental health stigma and empower people to seek support.
Through awareness cycles and evidence-informed education programmes delivered across families, schools, communities, and workplaces, Cycle Against Suicide promotes open conversation, understanding, and help-seeking behaviour.
The goal is to build a society where mental health is prioritised, and support is accessible to all.
This year over 420 secondary schools are taking part in its HEADSTRONG school programme and its Mind-Me-Mind-You programme is running in primary schools.
The HEADSTRONG secondary schools are currently taking part in ‘Schools Go Orange’, a whole school mental health awareness initiative.
Alongside its schools’ programmes, the charity runs regular mental health peer support training and mental health information webinars.
Cycle Against Suicide has also been developing new programmes which will be launched soon, aimed at addressing the gaps in mental health knowledge within communities. These include its:
- HELP Programme (Health Educators Leading Parents) to equip parents with the information and training for them to confidently understand and support their children’s mental health.
- Youth peer support programme for young people and parents to address and support mental health through peer support techniques.
- E-learning platform, including its self-directed online mental health peer support programme designed as a flexible and self-directed training, allowing people to engage at a time and pace that suits them.
It is this self-directed peer support training that the charity believes could be very useful to people living in isolated areas or who need flexible training times, such as farmers and their families.
Using the shed raffle, Cycle Against Suicide is hoping to start a conversation on mental health, engage with the community, and ultimately encourage people to use its resources such as its peer support training, which are free of charge.
Over recent years, the organisation has evolved exponentially, responding to growing demand for trusted evidence-based mental health education and support across Ireland, according to the CEO.
Lafferty said: “This year has once again highlighted the urgency of our mission, as individuals, families, schools, workplaces, and communities continue to face complex and evolving mental health challenges.
“Demand for our resources continue to grow. Our work is delivered through a comprehensive range of education programmes, training initiatives, community supports and awareness events, all aligned with best practice and informed by evidence.
“A major achievement has been the scale and depth of our engagement with young people and schools.
“Research consistently shows that many adult mental health difficulties begin during adolescence, making early intervention critical,” she explained.
According to Lafferty, by prioritising evidence-based education programmes in primary and secondary schools, and “by supporting teachers and parents alongside students, we are investing in long-term, preventative change”.
“Demand for our programmes and resources continues to grow, reflecting both their relevance and the confidence placed in Cycle Against Suicide by schools nationwide,” the CEO said.
“The organisation has expanded supports for parents, teachers, communities, and workplaces, recognising that mental health doesn’t exist in isolation.
“Through targeted training, peer support programmes and accessible resources, we are strengthening the capacity of adults and organisations to respond effectively and compassionately, while fostering cultures of openness, connection and early help seeking behaviour.”
Looking ahead, Lafferty said Cycle Against Suicide is entering a new phase of development “that will build on the strong foundations already in place in the organisation”.
“As CEO, I remain deeply committed to ensuring the organisation continues to build a healthier, more connected Ireland,” she said.
