Thanks for taking the time to visit my page. 

I will be running the Dublin Marathon in October 2018, this will be my first time completing a marathon, running every week leading up to it and enduring a bit of pain will be more worthwhile if I know some good will come out of it. I will also be running in the Derry half marathon the month before, I probably deserve an extra pound for that surely?

I am hoping to raise at least £300 (more would be awesome) for aware, the depression charity for Northern Ireland and the only charity that works exclusively with those with depression and bipolar disorder. All proceeds will go directly to them so please consider supporting my page. 

Mental health services in Northern Ireland already receive 25% less funding than the rest of the UK for mental health services, so every donation is greatly appreciated 

Aware is a Derry-born charity which has an established network of 25 support groups in both rural and urban areas across the country for people with depression and bipolar disorder. They also deliver mental health and well-being programmes into communities through schools, colleges and universities. 

Through my own experiences in my own job for the past ten years and in my personal life I have encountered many people including friends and family completely gripped by depression and not believing there was a way forward with their life. 

Most of us take life for granted when everything is going as it should. We never know what event is just around the corner, or what those we love and care about are experiencing at this very moment. 

To put into perspective the current Suicide crisis in Northern Ireland consider that more people have taken their own lives in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday agreement than were killed in political violence during the Troubles between 1969 and 1997. Let that sink in. 

In 2016 Northern Ireland had 297 recorded deaths by suicide.  As shocking as that number is, it is more shocking to think of it as being almost six per week.  Six lives needlessly lost each week. 

When I read this and looked at figures going back over twenty years, the trend is that suicide is increasing almost yearly in this country at a predictable rate.

I believe that whilst it is tragic that so many lives are lost, what is also tragic is the fact that these can be prevented. Lives can be saved and families spared the loss, pain and years of never knowing why or if they could have done more. 

Any donations no matter how small are welcomed

Thanks

Mark

For more information visit www.aware-ni.org