What am I doing?On 23rd April 2017 I will be running the London Marathon, which is 26.2 miles. Having never been a runner or even ran more than 10k this really will be a challenge for me!After entering the ballot for a spot three years running and finally securing a charity place for Mind, I decided I had to do it and am now a month into training with my longest run being 8 miles (November 16)- still a long way to go!I have written a few bullet points so that you can follow my story and understand the importance of running for Mind and what Mind will do with your money. I have also signed up for Silverstone half marathon on 12th March 2017 which will be supportive of my training. Why Mind?Mental health problems have long been considered a taboo subject with most people.Unlike physical injuries, it is not something you can clearly identify and commonly can’t see the devastating hold it has on individuals and their loved ones.Suicide is now the biggest killer of men under 35 and more women than ever are said to be suffereing from depression and anxiety. As a result we need to encourage people to start to talk about all emotions much more openly. We need to create a culture where those suffering in silence don’t fear the repercussions of speaking out and can talk openly about their feelings/illness. Mind are dedicated to ensuring that anyone experiencing mental health problems get treated with dignity and respect and also provide valuable resources for care-givers/friends/family.Mind run a 24-hour helpline, have online communities (where individuals can share their stories), provide group/individual therapy, provide legal and practical support and create informative videos/leaflets about mental health and why it matters

After all 1 in 4 people will experience something remotely similar to me. Lets make it easier for people to say ‘I’m not ok!’ I may not of been here and able to run this marathon without the support from the mental health community and medication. What Mind do with the money-Mind do a variety of things with your donations but some examples are:£10 could help us campaign for better support services, talking therapy and crisis care for people whose mental health is incrisis.£21 could help our supportive online community Elefriends run for one hour, giving people the chance to get hugely valuable'peer support'.£39 could allow out Infoline call handlers to answer 5 calls from people like sufferers, helping them to find support and a way forward.I'd really appreciate any donation big or small- just would love to raise awareness and support such a great charity. I plan to do regular updates :)Any questions - just ask or anyone who fancies running alongside me- taking volunteers for the long runs ;)

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