Let's face it we probably all know someone who has grown up, or is growing up, in a household where there is parental mental illness. And these children and young people are the real (often silent) heroes.

I am a trustee of this charity and whilst I realise 2.6 km is no distance at all (in fact I walked further than that this morning!) this is an invitation to my friends & family to show some support for Our Time and I will take my daily lockdown constitutional around the park and send you all gratitude and warm thoughts.

When a parent suffers from mental illness it is rare for anyone parent, teacher, or even social worker to know how to discuss the illness with the child. The children are often confused and frightened. They may be bullied at school if they reveal their secret, and commonly fear they will catch their parents illness. Research has shown that an estimated 3.7 million young people are affected by this issue, and at present most receive no attention or support. Our Time is campaigning for and supporting these young people to ensure they get the right help early on and to prevent them from becoming patients themselves.