Story
I’m running the Chicago Marathon for Youth Talk
On 12th October, I’ll be running the Chicago Marathon (yes, all 26.2 miles!) to raise money for Youth Talk, a small but vital charity that provides free, confidential mental health counselling for young people aged 13–25 in St Albans and the surrounding areas.
This cause means a lot to me personally. I’ve seen family and friends really struggle with their mental health, and how incredibly hard it is to get the right support when you need it most. It’s heartbreaking, if someone had a physical illness or injury, they wouldn’t be expected to rely on a charity to get treatment. Yet for mental health, that’s exactly the reality.
And the need is growing:
75% of young people experiencing mental health problems are not receiving treatment (Mental Health Foundation).
1 in 5 young people had a probable mental health disorder in 2023 (NHS).
That’s why Youth Talk is so important. They provide a safe, calm, and professional space for young people to talk about whatever is on their mind. And it changes lives. Just listen to what two of their former clients have said:
“Without Youth Talk my harmful habits would have probably put me in hospital or worse. Because I came to Youth Talk I got to reach my 16th birthday.”
“Going to Youth Talk was eye-opening and relieving because all the sorrows can be lifted when someone listens. If I had not come to Youth Talk I would have become worse, possibly to the point of another suicide attempt.”
Right now, Youth Talk is supporting over 120 young people every week, with another 80 on the waiting list, and the numbers are only growing. Yet despite this urgent need, Youth Talk has lost all its funding.
💜 What Youth Talk offers is sadly rare – but it should be the norm. It’s shocking that such vital support relies on charity funding, especially as demand grows.
Now, I’ll be honest and many of you will know this! I’m not a runner. In fact, I signed up for the Chicago Marathon as a drunken mistake with my brother Alex (he’s been very supportive, and thankfully kind, during our training runs so far!). But every mile I train, and every step I take on race day, will be worth it knowing I’m raising money for a charity that desperately needs help to keep supporting young people through their toughest times.
How your donation can help:
£10 pays for an hour of the Youth Talk team to be on the phone when a young person first reaches out.
£25 helps pay for resources to share with local schools.
£50 funds a full counselling session with one of Youth Talk’s 15 qualified counsellors.
Every donation, no matter how small, will make a real difference. Together we can give more young people the chance to find courage, hope, happiness and purpose in life.
Thank you so much for supporting me and more importantly, supporting Youth Talk.