The Zachary Geddis Trust is a non-profit charitable organisation dedicated to raising mental health awareness and decreasing the stigma surrounding suicide. 

Located on the North Coast of Northern Ireland, the Zachary Geddis Trust assists over 200 individuals per week with their mental health. 

Since launching in 2017, The Zachary Geddis Trust has hosted an Alternative Xmaz campaign as the Geddis family themselves recognise that Christmas is simply not the most wonderful time of the year for everyone.

This year the organisation is focusing on encouraging people not to spend Christmas in Crisis and pointing them in the direction of their crisis line for assistance through befriending/counselling calls from Friday 20th December to Monday 20th January. 

What makes this Crisis Service different from the major players? 

• Although this service is initially a phone call - this is due to some travel constraints from bad weather to safety issues with lone working - once the crisis period has ended, the individual will then become a regular client with the service accessing 1:1 face-to-face sessions (if required/assessable). 
• The person you are speaking to is a qualified local counsellor, with experience working within the Zachary Geddis Trust. 
• If you require ongoing support throughout the Christmas period, you will be assigned one person to talk too - therefore they will know your story and background, so you can comfortably pick up from where you left off instead of constantly repeating yourself. 

Downsides? 

• We are a small charity with an even smaller budget, we can only provide this service from 8am - 10pm but you can register for a call back between 10 and 8 and we will get back to you as soon as we can. 

Each crisis call costs £15, with your help we can help ease the financial pressure of a small charity doing big work. 

Thank you so much for supporting The Zachary Geddis Trust's 7th Alternative Xmaz Campaign.