About mental health:

Every year, 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem. It’s a dire statistic that is sadly still not taken as seriously as it should be.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused a mental health crisis, and we’ll be feeling it's impact for a long time to come. More people have experienced poor mental health for the first time ever, and for so many of us who had a mental health problem before, it's been made even worse by the pandemic. Yet so few people in the UK have access to the care and support services they need.

About me:

I'm Liam, I'm 30, and I live in Atherton, Greater Manchester. In October I'll be running the London Marathon for the first time - in fact it's my first marathon at all.

At the start of 2022 I had no running experience whatsoever, but in the past few months I've come to genuinely love running and the hugely positive effects it has on my body and mind.

I'm in no doubt about the size of the challenge I've taken on, but it's in aid of a fantastic cause. I'm raising money for Mind, the leading mental health charity in England & Wales.

During the pandemic, Mind's resources were invaluable in helping me realise how bad my struggle with depression and anxiety was becoming, which led me to seek professional help. I dread to think how bad things might currently be for me if it wasn't for them. 

I'm taking part in the marathon on Mind's behalf to contribute to the fight for better mental health support for everyone who needs it.

How your donations could be used:

• £20 could run Mind’s online peer support community Side By Side for an hour, helping people connect with others and feel less alone.

• £40 could help Mind’s Infoline answer calls, providing someone with vital support and information about help available for them.

• £50 could help Mind campaign for better mental health services from the Government, ensuring people get the support they need, as soon as they need it.

• £100 could pay the cost of one of the Infoline or Legal Line advisors for a whole day. Thanks to your gift, Mind can maintain their advisors, ready to answer calls for support and help.

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.