This summer, I will be going out to Sri Lanka as a volunteer on SLV Global's Level One Mental Health Placement. As a nation, Sri Lanka is still recovering from two decades of turbulent civil war and the devastating effects of the 2004 Asian Tsunami. This is only exacerbated by the lack of mental health professionals, meaning the population's need for psychological support far outstrips its current provision.

Alongside other volunteers, my role will be to improve confidence and self-esteem in Sri Lankan communities, whilst positively contributing to their development. Primarily, this will involve teaching English to Sri Lankans for their personal development and providing mental stimulation through therapeutic interventions.

Now, enough about me - here's how you could help. In order to get to Sri Lanka, I need to raise £1,800. I was lucky enough to be awarded a York Futures Scholarship of £1,050 towards my placement costs. But, I still need to fundarise the remainder of my costs.

So, I will be running the Sheffield Half Marathon on the 8th April 2018. I'd amaze myself if I could finish that, considering I'm an asthamtic who struggles to run a few miles at the best of times. I would be absolutely touched if you could donate to (in my opinion) a very worthy cause and help me transform the lives of Sri Lankans who have suffered through some very tough times.