Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Having done several half marathons in the past and specifically in the past year, I have decided to go one step further and just do the full marathon! And where else to do it, but in Brighton! This is a huge challenge as I never thought that I was ever good enough to run this distance and let's hope that I can, on the day. April 2nd - bring it on!!

Why am I running for Mind? Sadly, my wife Helena (Nel) was given some terrible news on December 30th. Annie, one of her best friends since Year 7 (11 years old), had sadly passed away from suicide that day. Annie was a true friend in every sense - caring, supportive, loyal and hilarious. As well as being a very talented wedding photographer, she was also a dog-mum to Claude - her beloved cocker spaniel. Whilst she portrayed a hugely positive outlook on life, deep down, there was also a lot of sadness. She will forever be missed and her infamous cackle and one-liners will never be forgotten.

Mind is a mental health charity with the vision 'We won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect.' They provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. Local Minds support people in communities across England and Wales. Their range of services includes supported housing, crisis helplines, drop-in centres, employment and training schemes, counselling and befriending.

Sadly some of the statistics are truly shocking regarding mental health. 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England whereas 1 in 6 people will experience a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England. Over the course of someone’s lifetime, 1 in 5 people have suicidal thoughts, 1 in 14 people self-harm and 1 in 15 people attempt suicide. Women are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and make suicide attempts than men, but men are 3 times more likely to take their own life than women. Mind aims to make sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone and this is the reason why I am supporting them in my marathon prepartion. 

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