TAMHI
Game Changer
Throughout Northern Ireland, sports teams and clubs are changing the way young people think about mental health.
TAMHI (Tackling Awareness of Mental Health Issues) is a mental health charity based in North Belfast, that uses sport and experiential coaching practices to promote positive mental health and resilience.
Established in 2011 in memory of Thomas “Tammy Tucker” McLaughlin, who took his own life in 2009, TAMHI works closely with sports clubs, schools and youth groups to make mental health engaging and fun.
A Bold & Energetic Game Plan
TAMHI’s core philosophy is simple yet powerful: sport and physical activity provide a non-threatening, inclusive platform for discussing mental health. By embedding mental health education into grassroots sports and youth activities, TAMHI aims to reduce stigma, build resilience and create sustainable behavioural change.
This approach focuses on empowering communities and young people to take ownership of mental wellbeing, ensuring long-term impact rather than one-off interventions.
Stronger Teams start with Stronger Minds
Breaking Stigma, Building Strength
The Mental Wealth Games is an exhilarating, sports-based initiative that transforms mental health education into high-energy play. Moving beyond traditional classrooms, the programme uses interactive challenges to teach resilience, teamwork and emotional intelligence.
TAMHI focuses on creating safe, familiar environments where conversations about wellbeing can happen naturally.
Customised toolkits and training modules are designed for schools, youth organisations and sports clubs which make building mental fitness as engaging and competitive as any championship sport.
Confidence, Connection & Resilience
RAY (Resilient Active Youth) is a dynamic youth leadership and mentoring initiative designed to empower the next generation of leaders. Bringing together young people from diverse backgrounds, RAY uses a “talking with them, not to them” approach to build vital life skills through social action and community events.
Participants become Wellbeing Champions, gaining hands-on experience in coaching, fundraising and organising community projects. By blending fun games with reflective learning, RAY helps young leaders develop the confidence and resilience needed to shape, change and save lives in their local communities.
Built on Teamwork, Powered by Wellbeing
Text Teammate is a mental health initiative that provides a free, confidential, 24/7 text support service. The campaign, launched in 2025, aims to normalise conversations about mental health and suicide while providing a safer, non-verbal way for those experiencing anxiety, stress or low mood to reach out for help.
Major sports organisations have integrated the campaign into their identity. In September 2025, Glentoran Football Academy announced that every squad, from the youngest to the oldest, would wear the Text Teammate logo on their kits. Linfield FC and Cliftonville FC have also launched dedicated campaigns to promote the service to their players and fans.
It reinforces the message that true teamwork extends beyond the pitch, ensuring no player or fan struggles alone.
Changing the Game for Young Minds
Today, TAMHI is widely recognised for its impact on youth mental health and community wellbeing. It continues to grow as a leading example of how sport and play can be powerful tools for mental health education, remaining rooted in its original mission: breaking stigma, building resilience, and supporting young people to thrive.
TAMHI’s impact has grown significantly over the fifteeen years since it started. The charity works with over 100 clubs and has engaged approximately 4,000 people, primarily young people, across Belfast and Northern Ireland. Surveys show that 74% of participating clubs have established wellbeing committees and over 90% report improved member wellbeing.
Other partners who are making a difference
Identifying the right network of dedicated and ambitious partners has enabled us to deliver on our charitable purposes and activities. Here are just some of the life-changing projects that our grant partners have been involved in.
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South Belfast Foodbank
Responsible for providing over 270,000 meals to people in crisis and for the distribution of over 200 tonnes of food.
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Dementia NI
Dementia NI was founded in 2015 by five people living with dementia determined to have their voices heard and drive positive change for themselves and others.
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Oh Yeah Music Centre
Music has been proven to be a unique and powerful stimulus for reawakening self-awareness and social connectedness in people with dementia and this is fundamental to the work of Oh Yeah Music Centre who offer a range of programmes using music & reminiscence to promote wellbeing in older people.