Hummingbird Causeway brings mental health support to 280,000 fans at The Open in Portrush

Event organisers, the R&A, have gone to considerable efforts to ensure people have a safe, enjoyable, and memorable experience at the 153rd Championship.

A range of services and facilities are available onsite to make the venue accessible and cater to a wide variety of needs.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, executive director – Championships at the R&A, recognised that Hummingbird provides vital mental health services to individuals and communities across Northern Ireland, saying he was "grateful its staff will be at Royal Portrush to offer advice and support to fans."

What makes Hummingbird’s approach to mental health unique is that it is delivered exclusively by a team of mental health professionals — all of whom have lived experience of mental ill health themselves. This combination enables them to successfully support others, both locally and across Northern Ireland.

Their work focuses on reducing stigma, promoting early intervention, and delivering recovery and resilience programmes. They also provide therapeutic support and education through a community-rooted model for mental health services.

The Open offers a huge platform and a landmark moment for the social enterprise and its charitable arm, Hummingbird Causeway — which officially launched in May at Stormont to MLAs and NI Health Minister Mike Nesbitt during Mental Health Awareness Week.

At the event, Minister Nesbitt said: “I am thrilled to celebrate 10 years of the Hummingbird Project’s person-led impact, but also to hear how their #OpenYourMind wellbeing campaign will be delivered at The Open 2025 at Royal Portrush in July.

“You will be all too aware of the high rates of prevalence of mental ill health in NI, and I am determined to fight hard so that mental health receives the profile and resources required to address these issues.”

Hummingbird Causeway will now offer even more vital mental health support across the Causeway Coast and Glens area, thanks to new community-based funding and awareness-raising initiatives.

Its first celebrity-backed #OpenYourMind campaign culminates this week at The Open, with staff promoting the benefits of good mental health and calling for increased local funding for essential services.

So far, high-profile supporters include Darren Clarke, James Nesbitt, Pamela Ballantine, Olympic gold medallist Hannah Scott, Mary Peters, and Andrew Trimble.

Leigh Carey, CEO and founder of the Hummingbird Project, said: “We are thrilled by the support we’ve been receiving from celebrities, golfers, local businesses, and the community — we cannot thank people enough.

“Hummingbird has invested over £1.5 million in local mental health projects over the past 10 years and has won numerous awards for innovation and impact in modern mental health care.

“Hummingbird Causeway is a giant leap forward in our development. It will enable us to support even more people at their point of need, using our unique therapeutic model. We are grateful to the R&A for the opportunity to be present in Portrush at this year’s Open.”

Leigh couldn’t have imagined, when she established the Hummingbird Project in 2016 following a traumatic, life-changing experience, that she and her team would one day be hosting a tent at one of the world’s most prestigious golf tournaments.

She explained: “It’s very often the case that something good can come from something deeply painful — that’s why resilience in the face of adversity is so important.

“I founded Hummingbird after a routine gynaecological operation went badly wrong. It resulted, without my consent, in an unnecessary hysterectomy, early menopause, and a diagnosis of PTSD.

“That’s when I realised there was a need to do something different — to innovate and transform mental health services through new, person-centred interventions.”

Dr Jimmy McAleese, the newly appointed chair of Hummingbird Causeway, is also a passionate advocate for mental health and brings his own lived experience to the role.

He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 40, but it wasn’t until age 52 — after early retirement from the Senior Civil Service due to mental ill health — that his world collapsed.

Jimmy rebuilt his life through volunteering in mental health services on the North Coast. The Coleraine native eventually found a new career and calling helping others — a perfect match when he joined the Hummingbird Project in 2019.

“There’s no greater privilege than helping someone to recover, grow, and become the person they want to be. We owe it to the next generation to prioritise mental fitness. Far too many young lives are being lost to suicide.

“Mental ill-health costs the Causeway Coast and Glens Council area £255 million per year, according to recent statistics from the London School of Economics and the Mental Health Foundation.

“Rural areas like ours face unique challenges — from social isolation to economic hardship — contributing to high rates of stress, anxiety, and depression. Too many young lives are being cut short.”

He added that it is "vital and urgent" to focus prevention and early intervention efforts on children and young people, particularly through schools and youth organisations.

“Achieving charitable status gives us new income-generating capacity to fund innovative, collaborative, and locally tailored mental fitness projects.

“We will also build a strong case for increased investment in mental health services outside of NI’s major towns and cities, while uniting other wellness providers across the North Coast. Together, we’re more impactful than we ever could be alone.”

The #OpenYourMind campaign includes a "mental fitness through sport" multimedia art project featuring work by Primary and Special Schools in the Causeway Coast and Glens. These pieces are on display in the Hummingbird tent at The Open.

Jimmy concluded: “If you’re at The Open this week, please visit us. We’d love to chat about our work and offer help and support. Please back our charity and #OpenYourMind campaign by donating at: https://hummingbirdcauseway.charitywize.com/12208/donations/”