Listening, Learning and Leading: Insights from the Lisburn & Castlereagh Health Summit

Mon, 02 - June - 2025

Last week, members of our team attended the Lisburn & Castlereagh Health Summit—a day focused on “Shared Stories and Shared Action.”

Hosted by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, the event brought together professionals from across the health, voluntary, and community sectors to explore how we can strengthen and build an integrated care system—one that places early intervention, prevention, and citizen-focused support at its core.

Throughout the summit, we reflected on how we can build capacity, empower local communities, and support people at every stage of life. There was a strong focus on the need to understand the real-life struggles individuals face, and to design services that meet people where they are—particularly in communities where postcode still shapes possibility.

One particularly sobering insight shared during the day was that referrals for mental health services have increased by 50% in the last five years, with around 1,300 young people currently awaiting assessment. These figures underscore the urgent need to move from reactive care to proactive, community-based support systems.

Key themes from the summit included:

• The need to build capacity, empower local voices, and support communities holistically
• Understanding how postcodes continue to shape opportunity and access to services
• The shocking reality that mental health referrals have risen by 50% over the last five years, with 1,300 young people still awaiting assessment
• According to Deloitte State of the State report - 44% of people in Northern Ireland think that the provision of care for people’s mental health and wellbeing should be the top priority for improvements in the UK over the next few years.

We were inspired by conversations with local project leaders and charities who are working tirelessly to support the mental and physical wellbeing of all age groups.

Events like this serve as powerful reminders of the role shared stories play in driving real, meaningful change, and we’re proud to be part of that work.