George and Helen's HellRunner page

George Chamberlain is raising money for Richmond Borough Mind

Participants: George "The Wiley Coyote" Chamberlain, Helen "Mighty Mouse" Gardner, Alex 'The Mad Hatter' Hatfield

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The 2010/11 Puma HellRunner Series · 27 November 2010

We exist to meet local mental health needs & promote good mental health for everybody by providing high quality, tailored services, information & support. We strive for a society where people suffering from mental illness & their carers have a high quality of life & realise their potential.

Story

Dearest, kindest, most lovely friends. Beautiful, thoughtful and caring friends. Generous and intelligent friends.  And funny. And did I mention beautiful? I did? Oh my apologies, well then, with your permission..............

George is a trustee of the charity Richmond Borough Mind (www.rbmind.org) who work with over 90 volunteers in Twickenham, Hampton, Teddington, Richmond, Barnes, Mortlake, Petersham and Ham providing help and services for people who experience mental distress.  

One of RB Mind's most important projects is The Vineyard – an open door drop-in centre for the homeless. The Vineyard is unique in the community because its focus is on those whose homelessness is compounded by mental health, drug or alcohol issues. It is the last safety net for the most vulnerable in society.

It is for The Vineyard we are trying to raise £5,000 by Christmas by competing (and I use the word loosely) in the PUMA HellRunner event – “12 miles of hell including tracks, trails, streams, mud-filled bogs and steep hills” at the Longmoor Military Training Camp (movie at http://www.hellrunner.co.uk/index.htm ).

The Vineyard has an 'open door' policy, which, while sometimes controversial, means no-one is turned away. It is open every week day. It is used by men and women (20% of visitors), young and old. It provides shelter, food, and so importantly, human contact. For those in physical and mental distress, it's a safe haven. 

However, in this difficult financial climate, such vital services are at risk. We receive no financial support from National Mind and this year we have already had to close two other vital drop-in centres. Funding for The Vineyard, because it is heavily dependent on statutory and government grants which we know are being cut, is in a perilous state.

This is why we need your help. Why else would we be running through a bog in November? :-) If you are able to donate, it is HUGELY appreciated and will make a difference to hundreds of lives. Thank you.

Donation summary

Total
£2,961.00
+ £609.51 Gift Aid
Online
£2,211.00
Offline
£750.00

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