A new mobile service aimed at helping people who are recovering from mental health problems has hit the roads of west Cork.

Cumasú - or the ‘Wellness Bus' - is the first project of its type in Ireland and is aimed at people in west Cork who are trying to recover from mental health problems outside of traditional mental health services.

The bus will provide mental, physical and social services for members of the public. Cumasú means ‘to empower' or ‘to redeem' and the project is being run by the HSE South's West Cork Mental Health Services, in partnership with a number of organisations, including the National Leaning Network and RehabCare.

Pilot trips to Kealkil and Dunmanway proved popular, with staff taking directions from the public on what services they would like to see. The bus is equipped with a library of self-help material, a projector and laptops.

According to Michael Bambrick, director of nursing with the HSE South's West Cork Mental Health services, Cumasú aims ‘to promote social inclusion by bringing people together in utilising the bus as a space for creative and novel initiatives'.

"In the pilot stage, a successful photographic exhibition was run in which community members submitted old photos for display and Cumasú is to continue to place a strong focus on the arts by exploring further local initiatives and endorsing new creative ventures through fine art, music, stories, film and the creative art therapies," he explained.

Mr Bambrick emphasised that the activities available through Cumasú are varied, ranging from gardening groups, yoga classes and stress management workshops to parenting programmes and carers' support groups.

Furthermore, communities can request the presence of the bus for a day or to coincide with a specific event or festival.

Launching Cumasú, Junior Health Minister, Kathleen Lynch, said that as well as promoting the concept of recovery, it also facilitates community integration ‘by providing a meeting space and a means of bridging the gaps between the ideas of mental, physical, and social wellness'.

To request a visit in your town, call 086 791 6300 or email info@cumasu.com