Hello! Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page :)

I am travelling overland from the UK to Turkey - hitchhiking as much as possible but will get on the odd bus or train when necessary. I'm wildcamping or staying in campsites the way, or staying with hosts we’ve met through Couchsurfing or Trustroots, and some hostels. Spending minimum money and planning as little as I can handle...

It’s an adventure and a challenge!

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As most people who know me well will already know - I’ve been dreaming of doing this trip (or something similar) for some time. But recently somebody pointed out to me that such a challenge could be a great opportunity to raise some funds for a cause I care about. 

Recently, somebody I only had the pleasure of meeting a few times died by suicide. She was young, with so much love and light to give to the world but, heartbreakingly, her illness won in that moment and now she is no longer here. It is so incredibly sad and yet it is also relatable for me as I have wanted to do the same before, and I have answered calls from friends in the same position. Suicide can affect anyone at any time, and this incredible woman making that choice really hammered that home for me. I am doing this in her memory.

Grassroots are a local Brighton company and a UK leader in suicide prevention. They help to create safe spaces in our communities for Real Talk about suicide. They support people to develop the skills and confidence needed to save lives. 

Amongst the resources they provide, Grassroots run courses on mental health and suicide prevention training. In accordance with their core beliefs, they facilitate minimal cost/free places to those working with people at increased risk. One of the target groups for eligibility is “I work with people from BME (black and mixed ethnicity) communities”. I think this is very important, as there is a distinct lack of focussed support for these groups, and a lack of representation in mental health charities - yet all the research shows that BME people are more likely to be diagnosed with mental health problems and more likely to receive poor treatment and disengage with services. Grassroots are hoping to run BME specific courses next year.

Grassroots also often work with Mindout (another Brighton charity, who work to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the LGBTQ community) and provide LQBTQ focused resources on their website and Stay Alive app (an app which me and many friends use and I highly recommend downloading). Research also suggests that people identifying as LGBTQ are at a higher risk of experiencing poor mental health and again, are more likely to feel dissatisfied with health services which are often perceived to be discriminatory.

The woman I am doing this in memory of wrote about how her identity as a queer, black woman could contribute to her feelings of isolation in her dark moments. I can relate to some of this and know many others who can too. In light of recent politics and rising hate crime towards all minority groups, for many of us things can sometimes feel like they are getting worse. 

I think we all need do what we can to help fight the stigma of mental health and suicide and to try not to shy away from difficult conversations. There are many resources on the Grassroots site ( www.prevent-suicide.org) to help with this :)

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In terms of the challenge… 

I’ve hitchhiked before from UK to Spain and also from UK to Portugal, but this is by far my longest trip! I left with a friend on September 19th, but she left the trip 10 days later in Budapest and I continued alone down to Croatia. I hopeto be in Istanbul by the first week of November! 

Hitchhiking can be tough some days but ultimately, I think travelling this way really benefits my mental health. The kindness of strangers I see in action on a daily basis is just so heart warming and life affirming. It also encourages me to trust in myself and to listen to my intuition... I'm learning more about myself every day and I feel lucky and grateful that I am alive and well enough to do this. Theres been points in my life where I didn't think I'd ever get out of bed again - let alone do anything like this! 

You're all capable of more than you know X

It's tough to keep all the different channels updated while I'm on the road! The best place to follow my journey is probably at www.instagram.com/joyfuljomad

(Later there may be blogs and possibly videos on www.josephinehall.org)

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.

Thank you for reading and for donating whatever you can! 

Much love,

Josie x