Why did we create the 100 challenge?

Schizophrenia affects 1 in 100 people in their lifetime. We want to raise awareness of how we can tackle long and enduring mental illness and support more people to manage their mental wellbeing.

Lee, who works for Change Mental Health, shared the reality that comes with caring for her second eldest son who lives with schizophrenia:

"He became symptomatic with schizophrenia when he was 19. Up until then he had been a normal teenager really musical and super talented with lots of friends. One of his close friends died from cancer and that seemed to be a trigger for him becoming unwell.

"We have had to deal with many difficult situations: he has had overdoses that he's been lucky to have come back from, suicide attempts, and he has run away from hospital. All these things take a real emotional toll on you. It sounds strange, but eventually this has become our normal. We just had to adjust to it.

"It can take a heavy toll emotionally and it has also affected the rest of the family. One of his brothers showed us an essay he had done at school and the closing line was: Schizophrenia is a thief that stole my brother from me."

Read more of Lee's story here.

How can you help?

By taking part in the 100 challenge, you will raise crucial funding for Change Mental Health, supporting more people with the care and compassion they deserve. You will break down stigma and raise awareness of who we are by wearing your Change Mental Health t-shirt and talking to those around you about your challenge! This will encourage people to speak up and reach out to us when they need support.

Together, we will build a future where no one needs to face mental illness alone!