For those of you who don't know me, I'm Lydia, and I've been the Volunteer and Engagement Coordinator for Arts for Recovery in the Community, or simply, "Arc": an arts and mental health charity in the heart of Greater Manchester's Stockport.

Whether you're reading this before or after I leave on 20th August, one thing is certain: Arc has been the best place I've ever had the opportunity to work. Managing Arc's volunteers and connecting with Stockport's vibrant, generous community has been incredibly rewarding, and I've met some truly wonderful people along the way.

From prospective volunteers eager to give their time and energy; to programme participants embracing creativity and openness; to café customers who wander in after a trip to the Hat Works and unexpectedly find a pocket of safety, inclusivity, and affordable coffee... Arc is full to the brim with special people.

Anyways, after a super rough 2025, I've decided to use some savings to travel across rural Italy to take some much-needed time out to explore nature, creativity and stillness, and to gain some new perspective. I also intend to eat a lot of pasta.

So, while I'd happily stay at Arc for many more years, it feels like the right time to grab life by the handlebars and reclaim a few lost years.

After Italy, I'll be settling in Ireland... via Norfolk and Edinburgh, naturally.

I am someone who has struggled with mental health challenges their entire life: from missing school due to crippling panic attacks, to eating disorders throughout adolescence and adulthood, to severe agoraphobia following the pandemic. Creating art and music has always been such a salve to the dark times, and can really make your soul soar in the good!

Working at Arc as the Volunteer Coordinator has strengthened that belief tenfold. Being part of such a caring, adaptable, and supportive team has helped me understand my own boundaries; recognise the power of creativity as a health practice; and connect with people who genuinely understand, often through their own lived experiences. I get so much out of supporting others and it's really shaped the way I support myself.

So clearly the only correct next step is to shave my head...!

I'm hoping to mark a period of personal growth with some new hair growth too, stripping away a bit of self-consciousness and facing the true self: bald head and all. It's going to be a real challenge for me, but I know it will be the first step towards acceptance and a signal of change.

Please help me to support this wonderful charity by donating to my head-shaving adventure. Arc has given me such clarity, confidence and hope, and I know it's done the same for so many others, too.

£1000 let's go!! 💰💪