Hi friends! Thank you for taking the time to visit this page and find out more about the cause that I will be fundraising for. I'll be running a half-marathon on World Mental Health Day (10 October 2021) for Samaritans - a charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide. There are many reasons why I've decided to join Team Samaritans, two of which I have included below. 

Feel free to drop me a message if you have any questions about this and thank you very much in advance for your generosity. 

Keep smiling,
Serene

1 - Samaritans Impact Model

''...listening requires you to forget your own ego, to set aside your own preoccupations and anxieties, and to give your full concentration to whoever's speaking to you. The rewards are that a good listener can change someone's life - even save someone's life. And who knows? That life could be your own.''

Earlier this year, I read a book called 'How to Listen' by Katie Colombus. While a summary would not do its contents justice, the author broadly delved into the listening techniques used by trained Samaritans volunteers to support those around us and open up difficult conversations when they matter most. It has been one of the most impactful books I've read to date. It gave me insight into the techniques and tools used to listen to and support others - especially in times of despair and hardship - and importantly served as a much needed reminder of how fortunate I've been to have had friends and family listen to me as I trudged through some of those moments myself.

In 2019, Samaritans responded to over 3.3 million calls for help by telephone, over 400,000 emails and 1,100 letters. For every £1 donated to Samaritans, 85p goes on their services and just 15p is invested in raising the next £1. Every 90 minutes, someone in the UK or Ireland takes their own life. If listening can make the difference between life and death, then I hope this fundraiser helps in two ways - firstly to raise funds for Samaritans to continue operating their free 24/7 service, and secondly to raise awareness about how we can all do that little bit more to support those around us - just by listening. 

For more information on all the incredible work that Samaritans does:
https://media.samaritans.org/documents/Samaritans-Annual-Report-Accounts-2019-2020.pdf

2 - Movement & Mental Health

"...reminded me to find the things that are enjoyable in life and to pursue them, which really does help with mental health. I understand it won't solve all the problems but it can certainly help to reduce it. The first steps are always the hardest but once you do it, things start to fall into place"

For me, these 'things' have been running and playing football (truly moments that I have looked forward to despite many things being at a standstill this last year and a half). I started running earlier this year after a colleague introduced the Couch to 5K app to me. Each run left me feeling cathartic, perhaps in some ways it was a nudge for me to carve out time to listen to and take care of myself.

I'm not known for long-distance running, and in all honesty, neither am I great at it. Nevertheless, I've somehow still found peace, comfort and joy in running and movement more generally. When I came across the Royal Parks Half Marathon, coincidentally scheduled on World Mental Health Day, and found that Team Samaritans was still looking for runners, I jumped at the opportunity. 

Reminding myself that all I need to do is put one foot in front of the other, and to just keep going (or swimming, as Dory would have it), is an empowering thought - I genuinely believe that this applies to many other areas in life as well.

Kudos to you if you've made it to the end of this mini dissertation, and I also just want to say thank you for listening to my story.