Thanks for taking the time to visit my 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 cost.

I am running the 10 k for Changes Bristol which is a truely wonderful charity. Changes provides free confidential support groups for anybody who is suffering from mental health and my goodness the groups are just so wonderful.

It’s really hard to write this but I have suffered from OCD and anxiety from a very young age and have never ever thought of facing my mental health till I had finally had enough of feeling so alone and worrying day and night about things that may never ever happen. I can honestly say that I thought no one would ever understand what I’m going through and if I ever told them they would judge me. I finally decided to take action after Christmas 2017 and go to a totally annoyance support group. I was horrified I was shaking , I had never felt so anxious in my life.

I got there and met the amazing  people at Changes Bristol and felt totally at home. Everyone there including the people that ran it have had/have mental health and really understand. You take your mask off and talk  about you not the fake version that you show at work or in social situations the real you and talk about why your struggling and you just can spill everything without being judged and without feeling that your over the top or crazy.

I have never met such  an amazing bunch of people and every week I so look forward to attending my groups.

These people are not mad, there not crazy there real people like me and you that are struggling with one thing or another.

Thanks to changes I now know coping strategies, contacts that have given extra support through counselling and some really amazing friends that understand me. As you all know you do not get better from mental health over night as it takes time but with changes it makes recovery this much more reachable.

This charity means everything to me and without these meeting and the amazing people I have met and who have supported me I don’t know where I would be today. Iv never had more support from anyone and just by giving £5 can help individuals with mental health come up with strategies  to help them everyday life.

This group is for anybody who is having a hard week, month or year.

Please donate and let’s make a real difference to those people who are suffering and need support and spread awareness that it’s ok to talk about mental health.

Thank you so much for reading and please share.

Lauren Heeley