Milford Care Centre named Elephant in the Room beneficiary

Milford Care Centre named Elephant in the Room beneficiary

Milford Care Centre has been announced as a beneficiary of the Elephant in the Room mental health awareness initiative

Milford Care Centre is honoured to be named the beneficiary of the Elephant in the Room initiative, with a launch focusing on raising awareness around mental health on Thursday, November 27, at Milford Care Centre.

The launch was attended by staff from Milford Care Centre and Wyeth Nutritionals and featured Brent Pope, founder of Elephant in the Room.

A team from Wyeth Nutritionals commissioned and generously donated the Elephant in the Room sculpture, also raising funds in support of Milford’s services.

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Speaking at the event, Mary O’Brien, CEO of Milford Care Centre, expressed gratitude for the support and highlighted the importance of mental health within the organisation, she said, “We are deeply appreciative of Wyeth Nutritionals for choosing Milford Care Centre as the beneficiary of this initiative and for their generosity in commissioning and donating the Elephant in the Room sculpture. Mental health is a priority for us, and this recognition reinforces our commitment to fostering a supportive environment for our staff.”

Brent Pope, a long-standing advocate for mental health, commented, “I founded the Elephant in the Room movement, really to get the conversation started around what you are struggling with, and to make these conversations more normal.

“Everything positive in mental health always starts one way, with a conversation, and I am delighted that organisations such as Milford Care Centre are supporting my initiative. Looking after your mental health needs to be a priority, yet so many people tell me they were never taught how to look after their mental health.

“The way I view it is that everybody has an Elephant, or some conversation that they really don’t want to have, but should, a problem shared is so often a problem halved. I grew up in a generation whereas a man it was deemed weak to speak about your mental health, told to Man up, push through and lean into it.

“Speaking to someone at the right time, may be the best decision you ever make. Talking saves lives, it’s as real as that. The elephant represents hope and permission to be a little more vulnerable and kinder to yourself and others, it represents you are in a place that cares.”

Pat O’Connell, Wyeth Factory Manager, said, “In Wyeth we recently completed a project to highlight the importance of mental health awareness, and we are delighted to donate our elephant to the Milford Care Centre. The elephant called Dóchas, the Irish for ‘Hope’ has acted as a strong positive symbol at our Askeaton facility.

“The donation is an acknowledgement of the entire community around us, the work of Elephant in the Room, and in particular the staff of Milford Care Centre, and we do hope it will act as a reminder of the benefits of mental health support for its visitors and colleagues.”

Milford Care Centre has demonstrated leadership in workplace wellbeing, having introduced IBEC’s KeepWell Mark in 2021. The Centre became the first healthcare facility to achieve KeepWell accreditation in 2022, was reaccredited in 2024, and recently received the Best in Class – Mental Health Award at IBEC’s KeepWell Awards. The event underscored a shared commitment to prioritising mental health and supporting those who need it most