Kind Derry teen Cian uses his birthday to raise funds for suicide prevention charity

Cian McConnell will turn 17 years old on November 14 and instead of asking for presents, he is instead seeking donations to PIPS, a charity that helps ‘individuals, families and organisations who have been affected by suicide or mental unwellness’.

This is not the first time that Cian has used his birthday for good.

In 2022, he used the money he received as presents to buy supplies for Foyle Food Bank.

Cian, who is a student at St. Joseph’s, said he wants to brighten people’s day, spread positivity and help those who are going through dark times.

"I do it for my own good deeds. And, I really wanted to do something about mental health. There’s a really bad crisis out there at the minute.

"I decided to do this after something popped up on my Facebook page, like a fundraiser event. I decided to create one and just wrote out whatever I could and set it up.”

Cian said he also contacted family and friends to ask if they would make a donation. He is delighted to have raised almost £500 so far.

“My goal is £1000, so I’m really hoping I get to that. It means a lot to me. I just want to make people smile. It’s a cause close to my heart and I want to raise as much money as I possibly can.”

Cian, who is from Creggan, celebrates his birthday on November 14, but the fundraiser will run on Facebook until November 30.

You can donate at Cian’s Birthday Fundraiser for Suicide Prevention on Facebook.

You can contact PIPs at https://pipscharity.com/ or freephone 0800 088 6042