Please help me to raise some money for this brilliant charity. Whether you call it home or have just visited on holiday, Cornwall is a place that is special to so many of us. However, most of us have no idea of the struggles faced by so much of the county. Cornwall is a wonderful place to live and work, yet the very isolation, rurality and coastal boundaries that help make it so special also exacerbate the county’s persistent poverty and deprivation. Shadowing the Cornwall we love, there is a hidden Cornwall, comprised of communities and individuals that struggle. Here are some facts that have really shocked me and made me determined to help:

1 in 4 children in Cornwall live in poverty.

Gross median earnings in Cornwall in 2016 were £17,873. This is 23% less than the UK average.      

17 of Cornwall’s neighbourhoods are within the most deprived 10% in England. 

34,000 households in Cornwall are thought to be in fuel poverty.  

Cornwall has the third highest number of rough sleepers of all the local authorities in England.    

Perhaps unsurprisingly, mental health is a huge issue across
the whole county. Not only is there very poor provision for treatment, but many sufferers have huge trouble getting to and from appointments. Many families don’t have a car, fuel costs are very high, and public transport is pretty sparse and unreliable. Cornwall Community Foundation is the charity committed to supporting local projects in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly that really help promote good mental health and provide practical solutions in crisis situations. Please visit www.cornwallfoundation.com to find out some more about what they do, not just for mental health, but in lots of other areas too.

By running this marathon, I want to raise at least £1000.00 for
the Cornwall Community Foundation’s Mental Health initiative. Every penny raised will stay in Cornwall and help to make a real difference. It would be great if you would make a donation, and encourage me through the long miles of training and on race day in Rotterdam too. Both the Cornwall Community Foundation and I would be really grateful.