On the day, across Ireland, people will be hosting funky shoe days at work or school, organising sponsored events, volunteering as street collectors... or simply making donations. Now in it's second year, Walk in My Shoes aims to encourage people to talk about mental health issues and raise funds for support services for those who can't afford them.
The idea came from a young service user at St. Patrick’s University Hospital who said he wished his friends could ‘walk in my shoes’ so they could gain a better understanding of mental health difficulties. Suicide is the number one cause of death amongst 18-25 males in Ireland, with over 75% of mental health difficulties beginning before 24 years of age.
'Growing up is hard enough to navigate without any health issues,' explained Adam, an ambassador for Walk In My Shoes. 'Teenagers need a lot of support, and vulnerable teenagers even more so. By helping to give every vulnerable teenager someone to talk to about their concerns, Walk In My Shoes is doing very valuable work.
'I'm happy to raise awareness and funds and I hope everyone will join me in wearing stylish and mismatched shoes on April 12th.'
More information on how to get involved or to make a donation at www.walkinmyshoes.ie. See also www.facebook.com/walkinmyshoes and @Walkinmyshoes12 on Twitter. - See more at: http://www.u2.com/news/title/let-your-feet-do-the-talking?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+U2comNews+%28U2.com+News%29#sthash.Pex4rlBL.dpuf
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