Thanks for visiting Simon and Tim's fundraising page.

We're running the London Marathon – fundraising to raise awareness about the huge problem of depression in the UK. Please sponsor us!

Why we are doing this: Because we want to raise money for a cause we strongly believe in – giving people the resources they need to overcome mental health problems and have a better quality of life. In particular we want to raise awareness about the epidemic of depression, which will be the second leading cause of disability and death world-wide by 2020, according to the World Health Organisation. And according to the London School of Economics, it affects 1 in 5 people in the UK at some time in their life. The two organisations we’re fundraising for – Breathing Space project and MIND – are both committed to helping to tackle this huge problem.

What Breathing Space does: Breathing Space is the London Buddhist Centre’s programme for health and wellbeing. We teach meditation and mindfulness techniques to help people who have struggled with depression and other conditions to look after their own mental health. To find out more: visit www.lbc.org.uk/breathingspacehome.htm

What MIND does: MIND works to provide a unique range of services to enable people with experience of mental distress to have a better quality of life. It is currently campaigning for increased provision of talking therapies instead of medication to treat depression. To find out more visit www.mind.org.uk

Both Breathing Space and MIND believe that people who suffer from depression can overcome their illness without relying on anti-depressant medication – which can help in the short-term, but often doesn’t provide a long-term solution. Simon and Tim support their campaigns to provide alternatives. We also believe, from personal experience, in the huge life-affirming benefits of both meditation and running.

We want to raise £10,000 for Breathing Space and MIND. Please help us reach this target by sponsoring us.

Thank you.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor us: the Mind will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.