Hello everyone!

As many of you may or may not know, I am heading out to Sri Lanka on the 1st of June. With this date evidently growing closer just wanted one last chance to tell those who aren't aware of the project and what work I shall be undertaking.

Mental Health is something we have all experienced at some point in our lives or we at least know of somebody who has. It is estimated 1 in 4 people suffer from mental illness and at least 1 in 10 children suffer from mental ill health. But even though there are so many people affected there is still a strong social stigma attached to Mental Health. Just because unlike other diseases it is not visible doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I believe for Mental Health awareness to succeed there needs to be more people talking about it. It is great to see so many people participating in Mental Health Awareness week, I hope this will continue.

With this subject being one very close to myself, I have taken it upon myself to feed some time into supporting those who need it the most. Next month I shall undertake a volunteer project aimed at providing Mental Health support within a community and hospital setting in Sri Lanka. This project lasts the duration of 4 weeks. During this time I will be helping to treat those with both physical and mental health illness, aiding the rehabilitation of people with prolonged mental illness, as well as increasing awareness within education projects.

The area I will be based in is the Galle District, which was one of the worst affected regions from the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami and, to this day, has left a lasting impact on the people of Sri Lanka. It is estimated that in tsunami-affected areas, 30% of people suffer from a mental health condition. Furthermore, Sri Lanka’s suicide rates are amongst the highest globally and the mental health needs of the people of Sri Lanka are as high as anywhere in the world.

Therefore I would greatly appreciate any donations to this cause as this trip is completely self-funded. And if you are reading this I would like to thank you for taking the time.