Update: after an involuntary 11 day break (travelling back from Europe and quarantine for 10 days), I resumed my walks today and will extend them by an additional 11 days to make up for the pause. I'm also voluntarily doing Dry January on top of this - why the hell not?

Wishing you all a happy and most of all healthy New Year!

S.xxx

Hi, I'm Svenja. I've had a pretty rough time for the last 13 months - to say that life hasn't been kind would be an understatement, and I have felt overwhelmed and torn apart to the point of physical and mental breakdowns, including a suicide attempt at the end of last year. 

While starting to recover mentally and physically, Covid and the isolation associated with that made the recovery from depression a big struggle, my criminal freeholder putting me through hell didn't help either, but I got back on my feet, returned to work and finally felt some sense of achievement again.

However, recent bad news in my immediate family directly related to this fundraiser pushed me over the edge and accumulated in a complete meltdown earlier this week. I don't know what happened Tuesday morning except passing out in my bedroom while blasting out a Wildhearts album at volume 55. If it hadn't been for my friend ringing me relentlessly and making me come out for a walk in nature, I don't know what would have happened. So I've decided it's time to turn things around and fight back by making myself stronger.....so I can be strong for those who need me. 

While I'm dedicating this to my grandad Paul Brecht, who was taken by cancer way too soon at the age of 69 (when I was 17), I am doing this for close family members and friends who have either recently undergone cancer treatment or are going through it at this very moment - and those we've lost along the way. You know who you are, and I will muster up the strength to do this in the hope that it will give you the strength to beat this. I am not mentioning names out of respect for privacy, but if you express your wish to be named here, I will do so.

I'll have to reactivate my Facebook account to share this (so yes, I apologise in advance for any uncontrolled and uncensored rants about my freeholder, Covid and Brexit featuring the brightest rainbow of swear words known to mankind), but I'm mainly reactivating the account for this.

 "Oh please, not another fundraiser!" I hear some of you say, but this one is closer to my heart than it could possibly be. And to show how much it means to me, I will give something back in return. Anyone making a donation of £10 or more will receive a glossy photo print (you can choose any one of my nature/sunset/whatever pics on FB), anyone making a donation of £25 or more will receive a handmade piece of vegan soap and a photo print, and any donation of £50 or more will receive a professionally printed calendar for 2022 (you can either choose your favourite photos or I'll put a nice selection together for you). If any of those making £25/£50 donations are fans of Darrell's music, you can also choose a Darrell shirt or CD instead (or a calendar with high quality photos of Darrell). The first £50 donation from a Darrell fan can have the one and only "Rockin' The Streets" hoodie (size XL). The only small print: I can only cover postage within the UK for these gifts - I can post overseas, but would kindly ask you to cover the excess postage.

Please take this journey with me - I'll do the walking and provide the photos (some days might be too rainy for pics, but I promise to capture all things beautiful when the sun is out), and you can motivate me - and bring hope to those close to me.

I need to do this to turn things around. It's too easy to drown in fear, sorrow and grief while being ripped to shreds by my freeholder - I will not let them win....instead, I want to help my loved ones and, at the end of the day, help myself back on my feet because the last 13 months have quite frankly knocked me off my feet....so I will use those very feet and walk and walk and walk.

Thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart,

Svenja xxx

(P.S. for the photos, soap, calendars etc. please allow some time, as I have to get them printed and/or make the soap. Darrell merch is available instantly. I have asked his permission and he is happy to support this cause.)