IT’S A COMMON dilemma faced by young people in Irish schools: What should we do for our Mini Company project?

Six Transition Year (TY) students in the Royal and Prior Comprehensive School in Raphoe in Donegal decided to create an online mental health resource for teenagers.

The Turnover Project got it’s name because the group wants the site to help “turn over” how young people see mental health.

The website went live on 3 November and Mitchell Goudie, one of its founders, said the group have received “a really, really good reaction”.

Goudie said he and his classmates decided to work in this area as some of them have had their own issues with mental health.

It has been a huge, huge issue in Ireland in the past couple of years. Ireland has the resources to deal with it but we need to get the word out there. Most people deal with mental health issues, we’re promoting that it’s important to stay positive.

The Turnover Project aims to destigmatise mental health and point young people in the direction of valuable resources. Jigsaw helped the group to compile information for the site.

Goudie said the group’s members felt there weren’t enough easily-accessible resources out there for young people so they decided to set up their own.

He said it’s important that young people run the site as “teenagers have a better idea of what teenagers need”.

The website is run by the following students:

• Mitchell Goudie (16) (General Manager)
• Odhran Shiels (16) (Assistant Manager and Production Manager)
• Charlene Rodriguez (15) (Financial Manager)
• Louise Laird (15) (Secretary)
• Natalie Bardini (16) (Stand Manager)
• Caoilte Hines (15) (Marketing Manager)

Goudie said the group hopes to keep the project going once they complete TY.

The Turnover Project is currently looking for people to appear in a video promoting positive mental health. More information on this is available here.

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