Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page, it really means so much to myself and Rethink Mental Illness.

The majority of people who know me will be completely unaware that I've had quite a battle with my mental health in recent years and I have always kept it so quiet because of the shame and guilt I've felt for living with mental illness. At times it has been debilitating and I know only too well how difficult it is to feel like you have to explain yourself in the times of extremes lows and also struggle through the pain that sits behind masking that you're not okay. I will always be grateful to those who have helped me to become mentally more resilient and whilst I know mental illness will always be in the background, it doesn't define me and it won't beat me.

Mental illness is the leading cause of workplace absence and shockingly, 70% of children and young people with mental illness do not receive appropriate intervention at an early stage. Whilst society is slowly improving its attitudes towards mental health, there is so much more to be done.

Rethink Mental Illness is a charity which is pivotal in making the world a better place for those with mental illness. Not only do they educate and drive policy change, but they provide crucial support across the UK to those living with mental illness, their carers, friends and family.

So, why go bald? My hair has always been the one feature that I have taken pride in. Some days it wakes up with a mind of its own, but it has always been there for me as a safety blanket, covering me especially on those difficult days where it's a struggle to keep going. By taking that away, I am exposing myself and eliminating the one thing I've always hidden behind (the reason why you often don't see me wearing it up!). The shave itself will be a tough challenge, but the weeks after where I will most definitely feel more on show will be the real test for me, but I want to convey that you don't have to hide from mental illness, you're never alone and there's always somebody rooting for you.

Thank you again for visiting and if you can't donate, please visit https://www.rethink.org/ to learn about their invaluable work.

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.