Suicide Prevention charity Pieta House has teamed up with the brainchild of Irish pop singer Bressie, mental health organisation A Lust For Life to launch #SoundEffect.

The #SoundEffect campaign wants to “turn up the volume” and encourage people to “be sound to each other and to ourselves.”

In a joint press release for the campaign due to run from September 1 to 3, the organisers said:

“In a world that can often magnify negativity we believe deep down that most people are in fact, sound. We also know when someone does something sound, that soundness ripples out – what we call the #SoundEffect. We want to highlight the little moments of soundness that are happening every day on the island of Ireland – to create a huge wave of sound.”

Drown Out Negative Noise

CEO of Pieta House, Brian Higgins, stressed the importance of the #SoundEffect in helping to “drown out the negative noise” we’re surrounded by online with positivity.

“What we are trying to do here is turn up the volume on what is right, increasing awareness of what it means to be sound, and using that wave of positivity to drown out the negative noise our online spaces are awash in,” Higgins said.

“Being sound goes further than that one moment; small things can help improve all of our lives and fight against societal wrongs.”

Paula McLoughlin, Chair and Acting CEO of A Lust For Life, spoke of the importance of highlighting the “inherent goodness” in society.

“Considering the levels of apathy and negativity we are constantly exposed to,” said McLoughlin, “and which can become at times overwhelming, it’s important to highlight the empathy, inherent goodness and level of social consciousness that exist throughout the vast majority of society. Now more than ever.”

Electric Picnic

Pieta House and A Lust For Life will make an appearance at Electric Picnic in September, where they will explore ‘being sound’ and mental wellness with lots of great guests over 3 days in The Mindfield Arena.

In addition to presenting the Wall of Sound, A Lust For Life will also launch  ‘The Little Book of Sound’: a digital guide to share our ideas on how to use being sound to help our minds and our society – and a little on the science that supports that!

A series of conversations and performances will be hosted across the weekend, with guests including actor Jack Reynor, Surfer and Environmentalist Easkey Britton, Minister for Health Simon Harris, Author Michael Harding, Broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan, Ireland and Leinster Rugby player Jack McGrath, Former International Rugby Player, Shane Byrne,  GP, Broadcaster and Award Winning Columnist Dr. Ciara Kelly, Pieta House CEO Brian Higgins, Retreat Runner and ex Wexford hurling captain Diarmuid Lyng, Activist Sinéad Burke, All Star Hurler and Founder of Soar Tony Griffin, Senator Lynn Ruane, Street Artist Joe Caslin, A Lust for Life Co-Founder Niall “Bressie” Breslin, Consultant Psychiatrist and former Clinical Director of Mental Health Services in West Cork, Dr. Pat Bracken, Syrian Journalist Razan Ibraheem, Sports Psychologist Gerry Hussey, Clinical psychologist Dr. Malie Coyne, Direct Provision Campaigner Ellie Kisyombe, The Women’s Podcast with Kathy Sheridan and Roisín Ingle and many more.