Challenge12: Dance to the Beat

Emily Homer - Sarah Fabietti - Garth Taylor - Lynn Fardon - Ken Wright - Drew Westermeyer - Stuart Pearson - Fiona Maxwell - Jonathan Nicholls - Toby Van Hay - Zannya Castillo - Laura Hulet - Harry Johnson 

www.challenge12.co.uk 

This year we are running to the beat (well dancing the 10k actually) to raise money for CALM: THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST LIVING MISERABLY is a charity which exists to prevent male suicide in the UK. 

Male suicide (which accounts for approximately 80% of all suicides) is currently the single biggest cause of death in men aged 20 – 45 in England and Wales and the rates in Britain are at a 15-year high (around 4,500 last year) so this problem is getting worse. 

For the past 2 years the girls have captained challenges in the Challenge12 programme (and competed in many more!) and we are looking forward to our third year. Last year we raised money for WomanKind, so this year we have decided to do it for the dudes and raise money for CALM. Over the last decade we have had more male friends experience depression. Conversations are difficult to bring up, and breaking points come almost out of nowhere - all because men feel that “they should be able to cope” and if they’re feeling low they should “man up”. It’s not that easy, and sometimes they don’t know how to talk about it - so suicide feels like their only option. Last year a local boy in Fiona’s village took his own life. This was a few months after he had discovered his father after he had done the same. Both were struggling with issues that they felt couldn’t be resolved, and they couldn’t talk about. We want to prevent this happening to anyone else and make sure the guys have the support they need. 

CALM provides support by: 

• Offering support to men in the UK, of any age, who are down or in crisis via our helpline and website. The helpline is open 5pm-midnight every day of the year and takes calls from across the UK (0800 58 58 58)
  
• Challenging a culture that prevents men seeking help when they need it, see www.yearofthemale.com
• Pushing for changes in policy and practice so that suicide is better prevented via partnerships such as The Alliance of Suicide Prevention Charities (TASC), the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA). CALM also hosts the Suicide Bereavement Support Partnership, (which includes Cruse, If U Care Share, Papyrus, SoBS and the Samaritans amongst others). This partnership aims to ensure that everyone bereaved or affected by suicide is offered and receives timely and appropriate support. Its members are working collaboratively to ensure this vision becomes a reality.

Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.