‘Wellness bus’ hits the road in west cork

A new mobile service aimed at helping people recover outside of the traditional mental health services will be launched in west Cork today by Minister of State Kathleen Lynch.

The project, known as Cumasú – which comes from the Irish for “to empower” – will involve a mobile service based in “the Wellness Bus” travelling throughout west Cork.

The project, which is undertaken by HSE South's West Cork Mental Health Services in conjunction with local agencies, is aimed at promoting social inclusion and reducing stigma.

Great success
Michael Bambrick, director of Nursing with HSE South's West Cork Mental Services, said the project had begun on a pilot basis in Kealkil and Dunmanway with great success. "The Wellness Bus wishes to promote social inclusion by bringing people together in utilising the bus as a space for creative and novel initiatives," he said.

“In the pilot stage for example, a successful photographic exhibition was run in which community members submitted old photographs for display,” he added. Cumasú will continue to place a strong focus on the arts by endorsing new creative ventures through fine art, music, stories, film and creative art therapies, he said.

Communities can request the presence of the Wellness Bus in their town or village for a day or to coincide with an upcoming event or festival, said Mr Bambrick.

The project, supported by the Genio Trust, also involves inputs from the National Learning Network, RehabCare, West Cork Development Partnership and service user groups. Cumasú can be contacted at 086-7916300.