I have decided to fundraise for BIG as it is a charity that is very close to my heart. It has been an invaluable source of support to me for over a year now.

I was admitted to the mental health unit at Fairfield hospital in Bury in February last year for 6 weeks due to suffering from severe depression. During this time, I took part in the therapeutic activities programme on the ward and started to take a new medication. Towards the end of my stay, I was asked if I would like to go to BIG with a mental health support worker from the unit. Despite my initial apprehension, I decided to go and see what it was all about. The volunteers there were extremely welcoming and friendly and they talked me through everything and answered any questions I had. I started to feel more at ease and following my discharge from hospital, I began to attend weekly sessions at BIG. After talking to different people there, I soon realised that I was no longer alone and that I could identify with other people's issues and experiences. BIG also became a source of social support for me as I was able to interact with people reducing my feelings of isolation and loneliness.

I am organising this walk for two main reasons; one is to promote BIG's services and raise as much money as possible for this invaluable charity. The second is to try and encourage people to take on this challenge so they can believe in themselves and strive to be the best they can be.

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