A woman in her twenties came to Lamp after months of trying to manage her mental health alone, passed between services, repeating her story, filling in forms, waiting for appointments that moved further away each time she checked. She told us she felt like she was not living, not drowning, just treading water.

She was exhausted from explaining herself, unsure what she was entitled to, unsure who was responsible for helping her, unsure how to challenge decisions that left her feeling dismissed. The system had not said no, it had just kept her waiting.

When she reached Lamp, she did not need rescuing, she needed someone beside her, someone to listen without rushing, someone to explain her rights, someone to help her navigate conversations she felt too overwhelmed to have alone. Advocacy did not change everything overnight, but it shifted her from standing still to moving forward, from surviving to being heard.

Across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, people contact Lamp every day because they feel stuck in exactly this way, not always in crisis, but worn down, confused and trying to keep their head above water.

That is why we are swimming 21 miles, the distance of the English Channel, because for many people support can feel further away than that. Every length logged in this campaign represents someone who is waiting to be heard.

£18 can fund a first contact conversation.

£420 can fund a full advocacy journey.

Your donation does not just fund a swim, it funds movement, clarity and the reassurance that no one has to tread water alone.