What am I doing?

Whether rain, shine, or another bloody storm - I'll be running, walking, shuffling or staggering (does that count...) 1 million steps between 20th January 2021 and Easter Sunday. This will average at about 6.5 miles a day which to some might just be a very long walk in the park but it's over 6X my average daily movement since Covid-19 began.

So, if it encourages you to donate - I promise I'll be suffering through this challenge, and with lockdown restrictions in play, I'll be doing it in one big block a day.


Why?

Well, it's not because I'm trying to become a mini Captain Tom, I promise. 

Mental health has unfortunately played a niggling part of my life for quite a while via my own anxiety and panic or watching friends and family suffer. I want to do something, however small - to make a drop of positive impact. Whether it's encouraging you to donate on this page or making someone think about the benefits of walking on their own MH.

Now feels like a good time to do something, even though for decades our society's understanding of mental illness has been lagging, Covid-19 has put charity-funded research at huge risk. We could lose a generation of important mental health research at this rate and the charity MQ are doing a lot to help.

Lastly, through this pandemic I've become a physical lazy s*** so it's nice to have something that helps me challenge that.

The Charity

My employer, Stockport Homes Group's have chosen MQ as Charity of Choice for 2020/21 - many of my colleagues are doing something positive to raise money too.

MQ is the leading mental health research charity dedicated to tackling mental health through research. Their vision is to create a world where mental illness is understood, effectively treated and ultimately prevented. With 1 in 4 people being affected by mental illness each year, it is a reality that everyone has had experience with, whether at home, work or within the community.Stockport Homes Group is a strong advocate for mental health and will be working with the charity, helping MQ find out more about mental health to improve the lives of everyone affected.

Stockport Homes Group has a busy calendar of fundraising events planned to support the charity with everything from bake sales to bingo, well-being walks to 10k runs.

Still reading?

Have you really scrolled this far down? If so, please check out Northmoor Community Association, a charity I work closely with but I'm not raising money for with this project. Wanted to do a shout out, https://www.northmoorcommunity.co.uk/.