The Donegal Wellness Cafés were the winners of the Irish Healthcare Centre Awards 2023 in the Healthcare Initiative Patient Education/Lifestyle Project category.
There are currently 15 cafes established throughout the county, with the latest addition in ATU Letterkenny, where the students are verbalising the benefits of being involved.
Read full press release:
Donegal Mental Health Win at Irish Healthcare Centre Awards 2023
The Donegal Wellness Cafés were the winners of the Irish Healthcare Centre Awards 2023 Healthcare Initiative Patient Education/Lifestyle Project.
The initiative started with service users who initially completed the EOLAS education and information programme for people with psychosis followed by the ‘Write to Recovery’ programme in 2019.
This process was the foundation for the development of the Wellness Cafes in Donegal. There are currently 15 cafes established in Donegal with the latest addition in the Atlantic Technological University, Letterkenny, where the students are verbalising the benefits of being involved.
The awards were held in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire on Friday night 26th May 2023. There were 166 initiatives shortlisted in 28 categories.
The Wellness Café initiative was developed in Donegal by people with lived experience of Mental Health illness and clinicians working in the service. This engagement was born because service users of mental health services needed not to be seen as patients, but individuals with knowledge ability, creativity, rights and ownership over their own recovery. The idea was to create a space in the local community for people with lived experience to meet up socially in a local café with staff from the services to discover themselves, create engagement, reduce isolation and develop quality in their recovery journey. Everyone goes to the Café for themselves and the feedback has been phenomenal.
The Wellness Café model has grown from one initially in 2019 to 15 across Donegal which is a reflection of the need and relevance of having one in your local community. This model supports people in their recovery journey and promotes Wellness. When organised, people with lived experience have so much to offer and gain from engagement with each other and with clinicians in their local communities. Winning this award is a fabulous achievement and will empower those who have given time and commitment to its development and encourage others in Mental Health to mobilise their communities and services to follow suit.
Dr John McCardle, HSE Area Director of Nursing in Donegal in congratulating the service said
“This is a tremendous achievement for people with lived experience and staff from the Donegal Mental Health Service. The Wellness Cafes represent real empowerment in action. People have discovered themselves, found new ways of engagement, learned from others, developed friendships and confidence to try out new ways of being. There is no them and us only we. No stigma and people have found their sense of purpose and identity.”
The venues and times for the cafes in Donegal are:
| Area | Day/Time | Location | Contact |
| Clonmany | Monday
11-12.30/1pm |
The Market House, Clonmany
|
Bebhinn Mullins
086 408 9481 |
| Dunfanaghy | Every 2nd & 4th Monday
10.30am -12pm |
The Workhouse
Dunfanaghy |
Bernadette Mc Fadden on 0860766670
|
| Moville | Tuesday
10am – 11.30 am |
The Cosy Cottage | Moville Family resource Centre
074 93 85548 |
| Finn Valley Wellness cafes | Thursday’s
10.30am – 12.00pm |
The Coffee Loft Ballybofey
|
Finn Valley Community Health Forum 086 394 5008 |
| Carndonagh | First Wednesday of the Month
11am – 12pm |
The Diamond
Cafe |
Carndonagh Wellness Café Development Group
074 93 29718 |
| Falcarragh | Wednesday
10.30am -12pm |
The Batch | Cloughaneely MHA
083 348 9749 |
| Lifford | Wednesday’s
11-12.30pm |
Lifford Old Courthouse | 074 91 41430 |
| Letterkenny | Thursday
10.30am – 12pm |
An Grianan Theatre
Letterkenny |
The Willows
074 91 88329 |
| Buncrana | Thursday
11.30am – 1pm |
Coffee Cup
Supervalu |
Bernie O Neill
087 919 7028 |
| Dungloe | Thursday
11-1pm |
The old chapel cafe
Ionad Teampall Chróine
|
Contact, CDP 0879615775 |
| Swilly/Mulroy | Thursdays’
10.30am -12pm |
Ramelton – Quayside
Fortnightly Downings – The Galley Every Last Thursday |
Milford District Resource Centre
074 91 53736 Mevagh FRC 074 91 55055 |
| Donegal Town | Thursday Fortnightly
10.30-12pm |
The Market House
The Abbey Hotel |
|
| Gaoth Dobhair | Friday
12.30pm – 2pm |
Ionad Naomh Pádraig | 074 95 32949 |
You can find Donegal Wellness Café on Facebook; Donegal Wellness Café
Everyone is welcome to attend a café.
