Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

It has been a dream of mine for a time to run the London Marathon & I have been lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to fulfill that dream by being offered a charity place in next years -  to be held in April.

The charity I will be very proud to be supporting is MIND -  The Mental Health Charity. 

In 2016 a friend & colleague Carl Tyrrell sadly took his own life after struggling inwardly with his own depression & subsequent mental health. That very much brought into focus for me the real issues faced by many on a daily basis battling with this invisible illness.

Mental Health can effect anyone at anytime & MIND is a charity doing amazing work, saving lives on a daily basis.

We need to make sure that help is readily available for anyone suffering & also work towards breaking down the stigma attached to mental health & it’s associated illnesses so that it doesn’t impede people asking for that help. 

Mental health can be treated as a taboo subject especially amongst males, with 84 men a week choosing to take their own lives which is the equivalent of 4,368 men a year & it is an appalling indictment of society & our approaches to men’s mental health. 

Many men do not talk about stress, depression & anxiety & by bottling up these emotions could lead them to such tragic circumstances as attempted suicide or worst still - suicide. 

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Im no stranger to raising funds for MIND being a member of ‘Team 597’ created in memory of Carl by his partner. As a team that includes his friends & colleagues we have taken part in various events to raise money. 

As part of this team I have taken part in the ‘RED January’ event twice. The event takes place each year & anyone can be part of it, participating in a run, walk or any form of exercise on a daily basis. As exercise is known to be of great benefit to health & well being when struggling with mental health. 

Those of you that know me know I’m a keen runner, putting in upwards of 40K a week & taking part in many races from 10Ks to Half Marathons. 

October this year will see me take part in my first EVER full marathon - the ‘Yorkshire Marathon’’. All good training for London!

Let’s keep Carl’s memory alive & help MIND to help others who suffer from this debilitating illness.

Suicide doesn’t just steal the lives of the ones that die, it shatters the lives of the ones left behind. 

Please support MIND by supporting me on my  journey to the London Marathon by donating what you can.

Every single penny counts no matter how small.

Thank you for reading 🙏

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