Last year I ran 10k for Mind in memory of Roy and this year I'm taking on a new challenge, running the Tough Mudder (yet again, terrified...!) but this time with a lovely group, who can hopefully drag me along.

I'm hoping to raise £200 for Mind Charity this Spring by running/climbing/swimming/being electrocuted (yes apparently sometimes there's a literal electrocution obstacle..) through the Tough Mudder 5K with a team of Ruby's friends and family who all understand how important protecting mental health is, and who believe in the work Mind does to support people who are suffering.

I'd be beyond grateful if you'd consider donating the cost
of a pint in London (one thousand pounds) to help Mind continue with their work, and more importantly, make my physical suffering worthwhile. Written below are some of my reasons why.

Why are we running?

In April last year, my friend Ruby's dad's mental health began to rapidly
decline. Ruby and her family were heartbroken to lose him to suicide in June, after an agonising period of 5 weeks in which friends, family, members of the community, and total strangers rallied round to help search for him. We'll never stop being grateful to those people.

Unfortunately, the mental health care provided by the state
in this country simply can't cope with the number and severity of cases it has to deal with. Waiting lists for therapy leave people with no support for weeks, months, and sometimes over a year, and resources are difficult to find and harder to interpret when you're suffering.

Having a mental health problem can feel overwhelming, cause feelings of guilt and shame, and it can be indescribably difficult to understand what's happening to you, or even the experience of a loved one who is going through it. Mind helps to make the complicated simple, and offers personal support where people may find they have none.

Why Mind?

While I hope this situation changes soon, at the moment we
can't rely on the state alone to help us with our mental health when we need it. That's where Mind comes in. Here's some information from their website which explains what they do:

*****

Mind offers information and advice to people with mental
health problems and lobbies government and local authorities on their behalf. It also works to raise public awareness and understanding of issues relating to mental health.

When you're experiencing a mental health problem, supportive
and reliable information can change your life. That's what we do. We empower people to understand their condition and the choices available to them through:

- Our Infoline which offers callers confidential help for the price of a local call

- Our Legal Line which provides information on mental health related law to the public, service users, family members/carers, mental health
professionals and mental health advocates

The Big Day...

So on the 9th May, Ruby Morris, Rachel Pochetty, Sam Bamski, Sophie McCluskey, Beth Thomas and I will be weeping salt tears among the macho as we haul our sopping wet, filthy and broken bodies through 5km of obstacles in order to justify any money you graciously donate. Please help us feel worthy by donating a couple of quid.