Mental Mate is a community project, providing private counselling sessions to those struggling with their mental health. Mental health issues have risen at a drastic rate, leaving many free services overrun. Mental Mate provide support for children and adults. Their counsellors have private premises to conduct sessions, but can also be accessible via Zoom/in schools/the home.

I believe counselling should be accessible to all. This is why I am supporting Mental Mate and the invaluable support they are providing to the community. I have been lucky enough to find an amazing counsellor who has helped me deal with difficult periods of my life, and I wouldn't be the person I am today without her support. Supporting Mental Mate is very close to my heart, and I would love your help.

I had been struggling with depression for a few months, but unfortunately my mental health declined further and I was self-harming and suicidal. I no longer really knew what was going on around me and I was sectioned under the Mental Health Act on the 13th May 2020 and hospitalised at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit. As well as being traumatic for me, this was also extremely difficult for my husband, my special friends, my two children and my mum, who all saw me at my lowest point.

I was prescribed anti-psychotics and was told that I had suffered from a psychotic episode. Two weeks later, and partly due to Covid-19, I was discharged. The months that followed were hard as I came to terms with what I had been through and adjusted to life on my new medication. I struggled through the side effects of the medication, but I tried to exercise whenever I felt up to it as this really helped my mood.

I am going to try and raise as much as possible for Mental Mate by running 20km a day for the two week period of my hospitalisation last year. I will start on 13th May and finish on 27th May 2021.

This will be a huge mental and physical challenge for me, so I would love it if you could donate what you can to help me achieve or maybe exceed my target. Thank you so much, Charli x