Maya and Mel's Lockdown Land's End to John O'Groats Challenge for Odd Arts

Mel Barlow is raising money for Odd Arts
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Lockdown Land's End to John O'Groats · 5 January 2021

Odd Arts deliver issue-based creative programmes with vulnerable and excluded groups. We work within: Criminal Justice; Education; Community; Mental Health Odd Arts Aims: Reduce-risk of (re) offending Build more cohesive and safer communities Improve mental well-being including increased confidence and self-worth Improve work-based skills through accreditation, communication-skills and therapeutic learning Increase access and engagement to arts and culture for disadvantaged groups Values: Empowerment and enrichment for all Passion for arts and social justice Freedom to explore new ideas and create Equality of expression for all staff and stakeholders Learning from and within everything we do A restorative and strengths-based approach Outputs: Issue-based drama and creative social-action projects (film, creative writing, theatre, visual arts) - responding to the needs of the people we are working with Therapeutic theatre programmes (usually in prisons and other secure institutions) Interactive, issue-based theatre performances (including radicalisation, exploitation, domestic abuse, self-harm, sexual assault) All of our theatre programmes are underpinned by non-violent communication, restorative approaches and are trauma informed. Key focus areas: Mental Health Violence Reduction Community Cohesion Our programmes are delivered in schools, communities, hospitals and prisons, in the health, education and predominantly criminal justice sector.

Story

During Lockdown 3 we are challenging ourselves to complete the distance from Land's End to John O'Groats (874m on the sign = 1407km) by a combination of walking, running, indoor cycling and indoor rowing. We've chosen a combination of "stay at home" and "outdoor exercise" challenges and we'll both try and do each type at least once a week. 

We are raising money for Odd Arts, a creative arts charity based in Manchester.

We will do the 1407km between us. We are tracking the distance we cover each day in a spreadsheet and we will give updates below. 

We are trying to complete it before the anniversary of the first lockdown on 23 March, which is over 17km a day. If we completely go for it, we will try and finish before the end of February half-term, which means doing 27km a day.

The money raised will go towards the live, interactive digital version of their play "A Spiralling Mind", which tours to 2000 young people, supporting them with issues around anxiety, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts.  

Odd Arts works with excluded and vulnerable groups through theatre and other creative arts. Their work is vital for our society. They deliver workshops in prisons, secure care homes, pupil referral units, youth and community centres.

Or did.

The tightening of Coronvirus restrictions means that coronavirus frequently stops most of their face to face work. It's also stopped their income because although Odd Arts is a charity, it gets almost all its funding from being paid for the work they do. It's a model that has worked brilliantly... until now. 

Odd Arts has been rising to the challenge of Coronavirus through innovation. Your donations enable Odd Arts to still interact in a meaningful, exciting and impactive way with vulnerable young people. We and Odd Arts are really grateful for any donations towards our fundraising.

Thank you.

Maya G & Mel B

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Donation summary

Total
£845.00
Online
£745.00
Offline
£100.00

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