In early October (Friday 1st to Monday 4th) our group of 12 young chaps are embarking on the National Three Peaks Challenge. The aim of this is to climb the three highest peaks in Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scafell Pike) and Wales (Snowdon) within 24 hours. 

Over the past year, Covid has impacted heavily on the mental health of people of all ages and backgrounds which has made the work of charities like MIND more important than ever! 

To put this in some kind of perspective, 1 in 4 people experiences a mental health problem each year (pre-Covid). This has increased throughout the pandemic, particularly among young people. Everyone will know someone who has suffered with their mental health at some stage in their life, with all of us doing this being no strangers to the impact mental health issues can have on people close to us.  

With this in mind (pardon the terrible pun), it only seemed right to focus our fundraising efforts here. Spending time outdoors is a great way to improve your mood and reduce feelings of stress and anger, and although the National Three Peaks Challenge takes this to a slight extreme, it does you good out into nature. 

MIND (the mental health charity) offers advice and support to those experiencing mental health problems and campaigns to improve services and destigmatise issues. This is an issue close to all of us as young people and young men particularly, but it's something which has a bearing on everyone.

Your donations, however large or small, can help in so many ways;

- A donation of £8 could offer a lifeline to someone in desperate need of support by letting the MIND infoline team answer their call.

- A donation of £15 could help us campaign for better access to talking therapies, crisis care and other essential mental health service.

- A donation of £21 could keep Elefriends, MINDS online support community, running for one hour.

Anything you can give in aid of this cause would be hugely appreciated:)

Thank you!

The Team x