Just a few short weeks ago, I answered the call from my alma mater to apply for a place to run the London Marathon in aid of the mental health charity, Healthy Minds.

For some inexplicable reason, I applied and learnt I had a place just in time to start the Beginner’s 16 Week Marathon Training Programme….without a day to spare.

This is a huge challenge for me. My running activity started fairly recently with the Couch to 5K programme and success for me was dragging myself round ParkRun without stopping.

Whilst this is a personal challenge, what is driving me is the opportunity to raise funds for Healthy Minds. Whether as a parent or recalling our own experience, many of us will know that life as a student can be hard at the best of times and let’s face it, it’s hardly been the best of times of late. Many students in higher education struggle with mental health challenges - sometimes, and far too often - with tragic consequences. Healthy Minds is a mental health intervention programme that uses the proven benefits of exercise to help students encountering mental health difficulties improve their wellbeing. This includes one-on-one mentoring and encouraging participation in team sports and fitness classes in a supportive and friendly environment. This fosters a sense of community, self-worth and purpose as well as the widely known positive impact of the endorphins that physical activity produces. To date, all students participating in a Healthy Minds intervention programme report an improvement in their mental well-being. This can quite literally mean the difference between life and death.

I am thrilled to be supporting Healthy Minds in collaboration with the University of Bristol. I am so grateful for any donation that you feel able to give to support this fantastic cause and to encourage me.

With heartfelt thanks

Claire