Member's statement: Aware: 30th Anniversary

Member's statement by Mr Justin McNulty on 10 February 2026.

MLA

Mr Justin McNulty

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

10 February 2026

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Aware: 30th Anniversary

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5435191

Read the official Assembly record

Text

It is an honour for me to speak in celebration of a hugely significant milestone: the 30th anniversary of Aware, an organisation that has played a crucial role in improving mental health awareness and understanding, and providing support, education and hope across the North. Thirty years ago, the landscape around mental health looked very different. Conversations about depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder were avoided. People who were suffering faced stigma, isolation and a lack of support. In 1996, at a time when services were underdeveloped and public understanding was limited, a small group gathered in a living room in Derry with a shared determination to help and support people living with mental illness. From that conversation grew an organisation built on a simple but powerful purpose: no one should have to face mental ill health alone. From humble beginnings, Aware was established as a charity grounded in lived experience, peer support and hope. Over the past three decades, Aware has grown to host 24 weekly volunteer-led support groups, alongside education and early intervention programmes that now reach thousands of people every year.

It is impossible to mark this anniversary without paying tribute to the volunteers who are at the heart of Aware. Individuals give their time in the evenings and at weekends and listen without judgement. They create safe spaces for people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives. Many bring their lived experience. The fuel for their fire is often the personal challenges that they have overcome that enable them to be compassionate, empathetic and supportive and to be bringers of light for others. I also acknowledge the staff, trustees, supporters and partners who have ensured that Aware has continued to grow and respond to changing needs, particularly in recent years when demand for mental health support has increased significantly. Their work has helped to ensure that mental health remains not just a health issue but a societal priority. While progress has been made, challenges remain in ensuring timely access to services and in continuing to break down the stigma. Organisations such as Aware are essential partners in that journey, strengthening communities through prevention, education and support and providing a lifeline and a lighted path in a safe and welcoming non-clinical environment. Today, I place on record my sincere thanks and those of my party, and, I am sure, of every Member in the House, to everyone who has contributed to Aware's journey: its volunteers, its staff and all those who have had the courage to seek —

— help and, in doing so, have helped others to do the same.

435 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:33 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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