Offaly youth mental health services to benefit from Lidl fundraising initiative

Youth mental health services in Offaly are expected to receive a funding boost from this week’s announcement by Lidl Ireland that they are to increase their national national fundraising commitment to Jigsaw from €1m to €1.25m.

Pictured: Dr. Joseph Duffy, CEO of Jigsaw and J.P. Scally, CEO of Lidl Ireland enjoy a socially distanced cuppa at the announcement of an extension in their charity partnership until Feb 2021.

The additional monies raised at Lidl stores across Offaly will help to fund virtual accessibility of the ‘One Good School’ Initiative for three secondary schools in the county, Banagher College, Coláiste Naomh Cormac and St. Brendan’s Community School in Birr, as well as other services and supports provided by Jigsaw Offaly.

To mark World Mental Health Day this Saturday, October 10, Lidl Ireland have launched a dedicated Jigsaw flower bouquet, with €1 from every bouquet sold being donated directly to Jigsaw. The limited edition flower bouquet will be available in all four Lidl stores in Offaly, and nationwide, from now until Sunday next, October 11, for just €4.99 each.

With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic expected to have long-lasting effects on the collective mental health and wellbeing of our young people, youth mental health organisations are bracing themselves for a huge escalation in demand for their services.

In light of this expected demand, Lidl Ireland have announced a one-year extension of their three-year charity partnership with Jigsaw, which is the National Centre for Youth Mental Health. This will see the national fundraising commitment of Lidl to Jigsaw increasing from €1m to €1.25m in an effort to mitigate the impact that Covid-19 is having on the mental health of young people in Offaly and across the country.

To date, over €9,000 has been raised for Jigsaw Offaly in the four local Lidl stores , and CEO of Lidl Ireland, J.P. Scally, has urged everyone to buy a special Jigsaw flower bouquet in the coming days to supplement the funding going to the support youth mental health initiatives in the county.

Dr. Joseph Duffy, Jigsaw’s CEO said; “Lidl’s support over the last 3 years has been game changing for our organisation. Their support has enabled us to launch more initiatives, reach more young people and offer more in terms of mental health services to thousands of young people, parents and educators across the country. For more than 14 years, Jigsaw has supported young people aged 12 – 25 across Ireland to advance their mental health. From the start of this public emergency, we were adamant this would not change. COVID-19 has been the catalyst for fresh thinking and has accelerated our plans. We are incredibly grateful to Lidl for their continued support enabling us to achieve those plans.”