‘Turn the Tide on Suicide’ has held what has been described as the most successful tea and coffee morning on campus in over ten years. The event was hosted by Students’ Union President Gareth McGreevy last Friday morning in The Great Hall. Those unable to attend the coffee morning could donate online throughout the day.
BY CONNOR DALY
Gareth McGreevy has recently been selected as the Belfast Centre escort for this year’s Rose of Tralee festival and has described his work with the 3Ts charity as part of his “journey” to the annual event. This year’s Belfast Rose is Frances Rafferty, a former postgraduate student at Queen’s University.
Raising over £1,600 throughout the day from both the coffee morning and online donations, McGreevy admitted that he was “overwhelmed” by the reception from university and Students’ Union staff to the event.
Speaking after Friday morning’s fundraiser, the SU President stated that suicide “touches everybody’s lives in some shape or form”, and especially on campus, figures of teenagers self harming in QUB accommodation are “rife”. More generally he claimed that attempted suicides come from “the most unlikely people”, from those “crying for help in the strangest ways”.
McGreevy vows to be “pro-active” on the issue of mental health throughout the coming year and to work closely with VP Welfare Adam McGibbon on this. He admits that Friday’s coffee morning is “only a gesture of what the union can do” to raise awareness of the problem of suicide throughout Ireland. However, McGreevy has stated his commitment to supporting the School of Nursing and encourages all students to show “a bit more of the spirit” shown on Friday morning.
I like that Gareth’s said that being able to raise £2000 is “only a gesture of what the union can do”.
That’s a pretty big deal for a Friday morning if you ask me…
I recall a Gown story from last year that touched upon the idea of suicide among students. It was rather shocking.
Congratulations on the success of the fundraiser. It is fantastic to see sabbatical officers increasing awareness of such an important issue. University life can be smooth sailing but if not, Queens’ offers a confidential and approachable counselling service to all students.
Excellent work by our president- fair play. What is it about the school of nursing that he is supporting?
It is good to see a decent President for a change. Brogan was terrible
look can you just not hide your bitterness for once? This was a good deed by McGreevy about a worthy cause so let us not detract from the worthy cause by digging at one and other.
GAA crowd still repeating the same mantra I see.
Well if its any consolation if you repeat a lie often enough it becomes the truth, or politics.
Still, keep up the good work, let us know when you have your second thought of the year.
Just suspicion i would criticism as well as contend tidy design, did we formula it yourself? Looks great.
Maybe gareth will have a similar fundaiser to get sutv off the ground…still no sign of any studio being built……
Brogan was not terrible. He’s the most decent president the Union has had in a while in terms of sensible ideas and work ethic. No shit talk with Brogan. No “doing it to be the centre of attention” with Brogan either. And certainly no BIG ideas either. A sensible, realistic, modest chap. That’s what he was.