Ashes to Gold in Coleraine is a charity aiming to support people who struggle with their mental health by providing purposeful activities and counselling.
According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, in 2024/2025, 38% of people reported having concerns about their mental health, compared to 32% in 2022/2023.
With the increase of mental health and addiction problems in Northern Ireland, Ashes to Gold provides counselling, a restoring furniture workshop, and a garden to grow fruits and vegetables.
David McCracken, a spokesperson from Ashes to Gold Oasis, claims that their charity is funded by the Department of Communities to support people in times of crisis.
They have one-to-one counselling sessions and group counselling sessions. On Mondays, they have a project called ‘Motivational Mondays’ for people who have low moods or are socially isolated.
On Tuesdays, there is an addiction recovery program, where they provide people with strategies to recover from their addiction. Tuesday and Thursday evenings, they hold a ‘Cocaine Anonymous’ session. David McCracken claims that it is mostly young men who attend this group session. According to the Northern Ireland Substance Misuse Database for 2022/2023, 46.4% clients in the country were reported for using cocaine, with most clients aged 26-39.
David McCracken says that their goal is to engage with the community, especially in areas of deprivation. He says that their charity and services are open to anybody who comes through the door.
On top of their services and counselling, Ashes to Gold also has a foodbank for their clients who are in emergency need. However, they try to refer people to the Vineyard Foodbank.
Their two main projects are the Grow Project and the Restore Furniture Project. The Grow Project is a ten-week horticultural program where people will learn to grow their own vegetables. The Restore Furniture Project is a workshop for six weeks to give people skills in DIY and help them get back into employment.
- Grace Todd
