Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am running the Chester Half-Marathon in aid of Mind on the 21st May 2023. I've set myself the task of going from a couch potato to completing the Half-Marathon with less than 4 weeks of training. I'm hoping to show that if you put your mind to something you can achieve it even under strenuous circumstances. Mind is a mental health charity, working across England & Wales. They believe, as do I, that no one should face a mental health problem alone. Even though 1 in 4 people have mental health problems, most of us don’t get the help we need.

This has to change.

Whether you’re stressed, depressed or in crisis Mind listen, give support & advice, & fight your corner. I believe everyone with a mental health problem should be able to access excellent care and services. I also believe you should be treated fairly, positively and with respect. Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. 

Mind helps promote mental health awareness and services for everyone but I wanted to provide some statistics on Men's mental health in the UK which is of particular importance to me:

Suicide is the largest cause of death for men under 50.

Over three quarters of people who kill themselves are men.

Men are more frequently ejected from the family home than women in family breakdown.

Men are significantly less likely to access psychological therapies than women. 

More needs to be done to break the stigma for men to not just open up, but be accepted by society, about their mental health issues. Thank you for taking the time to read through my page. Your support means the world to me and anyone who is struggling with their mental health. Let's work together to break the stigma surrounding mental health and support those who need it most. Please donate anything you can to help me reach my goal.

thanks, james :)