SpunOut.ie has created a new platform on its site for youths across Ireland to find their nearest support services to help them with issues such as depression, eating disorders or sexual health.
SpunOut itself is a charity that provides information and support to more than 650,000 young people in Ireland each year, according to the site’s editor Marie Duffy.
She said the new ‘Find Help Services in Ireland’ tool will give young people 24/7 access to a map of Ireland that pinpoints support services closest to them.
Duffy said the site has had a surge in young people using it to seek out information on subjects they might find hard to talk about, such as mental illness, general health issues and sexual health.
“We know how important it is for young people, particularly those in a crisis, to be able to find this information in a quick, accessible way. We’ve tried to make this as simple as possible by allowing people to input their location, and find out exactly what services are available to them in their own locality,” said Duffy.
SpunOut has also built a platform that allows this tool to be installed on any other website and used from there. Jason Coomey, the site’s web developer, said there is no cost to install this widget, so people can use the information on their blogs or websites.
“Any organisation can submit their information to our database for free,” he said.
SpunOut also runs the Academy of Activism, which provides free practical training for young people interested in social change.
