Before starting I'd like you to, if possible, open a new tab and play this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vvU-Ajwbok - (preferably on headphones) whilst reading.

 

Dear all,

 

Firstly thanks for making it this far! Most of you will have heard of Mind and some of you may have even had recourse to their services. Since it’s creation over sixty years ago they have been providing support for individuals affected by mental illness and campaigning on a national scale for their rights and promoting awareness of mental health issues. Your donation will help them provide services such as Infoline which gives advice about a range of subjects pertaining to mental health, legal advice and support for those who are suffering or have suffered from mental health problems.

 

(Are the voices getting irritating now?)

 

So, why did I choose Mind? Well, to be truthful, mental illness has always scared me. It is so inexplicable compared to physical ailments and often so hard for those living with them to explain how it feels to we happy ones living without. I think it is this fear of the unknown and seemingly unknowable mental states that these people go through on a day-to-day basis that drives the continued taboo status of the psychiatric diseases. I strongly believe in the need to break down the barriers surrounding this great unmentionable set of diseases and treat sufferers with the respect and decency they deserve.

 

(Now imagine trying to apply for housing benefits with the voices.)

 

What do you get out of it? Well, apart from donating to a great charity and the warm fuzzy feeling of having spent your money on something more worthwhile than lager, you will get to see me break myself as I attempt to swim 1.5k, cycle 40k and run 10k in the Virgin London Triathlon. Those of you who know my passion for physical inactivity will realize the difficulty this represents for me and thus the comedy of errors that will be my attempt.

 

Thanks for reading and hopefully thanks for donating,

 

Gilbert

 

Donations go here: http://www.justgiving.com/Gilbert-Thomas-Black

 

More info go here: http://www.mind.org.uk/