To say it’s a troubling time right now is a bit of an understatement. Things are very uncertain and none of us knows just how this is all going to pan out. Covid 19 has sent the world into lockdown. Self-isolating and social distancing have become a new way of life for us all.

While these steps have been critical to mitigating the spread of
the disease they will have long and far-reaching consequences for our
mental health and well being in the short and long term.

Now more than ever we will need the support and intervention of numerous charities that offer so much help to those in times of need to address the potential mental health crisis unfolding.

As the founder of a small business, it has been a difficult time
with many challenges and a great deal of uncertainty. But we have also seen a lot of positives, we have had so many good wishes from our all our ‘friends of FINDRA’, our customers, our ambassadors and extended family wishing us all the best and supporting us through these very difficult times in a variety of ways.

This support has given me a great deal of strength and hope and
that has inspired me to find a way to give back to others and our wider
community and society.

I know first hand that that spending time outdoors has a positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing. There is a strong connection between times spent in nature and reduced negative emotions. This includes symptoms of anxiety, depression, and psychosomatic illnesses. Time in green spaces significantly reduces your cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Nature also boosts endorphin levels and dopamine production, which promotes happiness. 

Right now many people face mental health challenges, with
anxiety levels running high depression loneliness are very real outcomes of this present situation.

I, therefore, want to do my a little bit to raise money for MIND UK to ensure we have the on-going support of this great charity when we need it most.

What will I actually do to fundraise?

Throughout May I plan to do a 5k walk, run or cycle 5 times a
week, dedicating my daily exercise to raising money for Mind UK. This is not about being the fastest or going for miles and miles, it’s about highlighting how we can make the most of what’s on our doorstep and enjoying being outdoors in nature even for a short time. 

I will record my activities on my Strava profile so that
everyone can see that I have completed 5k and the route I have taken. I
plan to capture my activities through photographs and some short video
clips, which I will then share with the FINDRA community.

A small A donation of £5 is enough and I hope that some of
our Friends of FINDRA will join me and take part, maybe dedicating one or more of their weekly daily allocated exercises to "Mind Matters
May" and together we can support this great charity doing
something we love, whilst enjoying and reaping the benefits of getting
outdoors. 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure.
Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send
unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the
charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting
costs for the charity.