Gaston calls for Stormont to back Ballymena charity Turning Point NI amid mental health funding crisis

North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Tuesday.

North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston has called for urgent departmental funding to support a Ballymena-based crisis intervention charity, warning that the collapse of Extern’s community crisis intervention service in the north-west could soon be repeated elsewhere.

Speaking during Assembly proceedings on Tuesday (October 14), Mr Gaston said the closure of Extern’s service “will leave a glaring hole in provision in the north-west,” and urged Ministers to act now to prevent further losses of vital frontline mental health support.

“There is no doubt that the closure of Extern’s community crisis intervention service will leave a glaring hole in provision in the north-west,” he said.

“I share the frustration of other Members at its closure, but, without immediate action, it will sadly not be the last.”

The Extern service, launched in 2019 under the umbrella of Derry City and Strabane District Council, had reportedly received around £650,000 in Department of Health funding during its six years of operation.

Despite this support, it recently closed its doors – a move Gaston described as a “wake-up call” for Stormont.

He warned that Turning Point NI, a community crisis charity operating in Ballymena, now faces the same financial pressures.

“Turning Point NI, which is a Ballymena-based charity in my constituency, also does vital work in crisis intervention,” Mr Gaston said.

“It faces the very same issues that led to the demise of the Extern service, yet it remains similarly unfunded and, regrettably, has never received monetary support from a Stormont Department despite lobbying from MLAs and even a visit from the Health Minister.”

According to Mr Gaston, Turning Point NI has handled 1,476 referrals from the health trust over a four-year period, delivering life-saving interventions at a cost of £400,000 — all without direct government funding.

While acknowledging the Health Minister’s pledge to “sharpen focus” and make the most of limited resources, Gaston said words must now be matched with action.

“I again repeat my calls for Turning Point NI to be granted some of the resource that others have got, lest it suffers a similar fate to the group at the heart of the motion today,” he added.

The TUV MLA also highlighted the broader funding crisis affecting mental health charities across Northern Ireland.

He noted that traditional funders, such as the National Lottery, have withdrawn support for tier 3 and tier 4 crisis work, which often involves the most urgent and life-threatening situations.

“It is notable that other funders, such as the National Lottery, no longer provide moneys to support tier 3 and tier 4 work, which is the most urgent and critical work in the sector,” he said.

“Why should those organisations rely on grants to provide core NHS services?”

Gaston concluded with a direct appeal to Stormont to create a strategic and sustainable funding model for local mental health charities that deliver essential crisis intervention services.

“Northern Ireland has many organisations that work tirelessly every day, literally saving lives through crisis intervention,” he said. “It is high time that the Health Minister found a lasting, strategic way to fund those organisations’ efforts at the very heart of our communities.”