Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page, and to find out why I'm taking part in the 100 Streets Challenge in support of Support in Mind Scotland.

I will be cycling 100 Streets to raise awareness of student mental health, and raise funds for an amazing charity. If you donate, I'll be offering a free online gentle yoga class on the 24th October to celebrate the end of my challenge. Please follow this link to sign up - https://georgiakate.co.uk/class/gentle-yoga-class-to-end-my-100-streets-challenge

Read on to find out more about my journey.

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In 2019 I was diagnosed with endometriosis, after years of debilitating pain and struggling with my mental health. I was in a constant state of stress and anxiety, driven by the battle to find a diagnosis and manage my symptoms, as well as a toxic work environment during my PhD studies. In March 2020, I decided to take a year off to heal and recover.

It took months before I felt anywhere near myself again and  started to think about my next steps. I decided to train as a yoga teacher after being awarded a scholarship. Yoga was one of the things that got me through the hard times, and it has been my dream to share it with others. I studied an online counselling course, to move further towards another new dream. In the space I had during my time off, I realised that what I wanted to do most of all was to support other people. 

I also started to volunteer with Support in Mind Scotland, a mental health charity in Scotland. I set up SiMS for Students, a volunteer group of students working together to raise awareness of student mental health, and the need for better support. I have been interviewed by a student magazine and had an article published in the Scotsman to showcase our work, and the group is only growing. 

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At the end of my year off, I decided not to go back to my PhD. I knew what I wanted to do with my life, and that I couldn't return to an environment which had been so physically and mentally damaging to me. Now, I am in what feels like my dream job. I feel more fulfilled than I ever have, working with the NHS to support peoples mental health.

None of this would have been possible without the support of my partner James, who gave me the time I needed to look after myself and decide what I wanted to do with my life. This has felt like a luxury, when at times I felt that my life was not worth living anymore.

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I am taking part in the 100 Streets Challenge this year to raise awareness for the need for better, more holistic, and accessible mental health support for students. 

When I was struggling the most, I reached out for support to my University. However, I was told I could not access further counselling sessions because I had already had several sessions previously. I contacted my GP, who told me there was no point referring to mental health services because I would face a 2 year wait. My only option was to access private support, but I am lucky to be in the position to be able to afford this. Many are not, and would be stuck without any options at this point. 

Support in Mind Scotland offers a Mental Health Support and Information Service which acts as a signposting guide to accessible support across the country. In my volunteering, we are raising awareness of this service at Universities across Scotland, in the hope that we can offer students another avenue of support. 

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I will be cycling 100 Streets in support of Support in Mind Scotland. Hopefully this will help me to continue raising awareness for student mental health, and raise funds for an amazing charity! If you donate, I'll be offering a free online gentle yoga class on the 17th October to celebrate the end of my challenge. Please follow this link to sign up - https://georgiakate.co.uk/class/gentle-yoga-class-to-end-my-100-streets-challenge

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.