Back in June 2025 I met up with one of my oldest friends Alex. We were talking about how to mark our 50th birthdays in 2026 and came up with.....a half marathon?!?

So …on April 12th 2026 we are going to run the London Landmarks Half Marathon and we are raising money for MIND the mental health charity.

MIND fund vital mental health support services and it is a cause that personally means a lot to both of us . We both have people close to us who have needed support for their mental health and I also see the vital work they do in my work as a Health Visitor. Mothers experiencing poor mental health around the birth of their babies can receive amazing support from MIND either face to face or online and I want to help this to continue .

The reality of what we’ve signed up for is now setting in and training has started in earnest . .The last time Alex and I ran together was in our lunch break as 6th formers so although we may be a ‘few ‘ years older I’m sure all those years of friendship will fuel us around the course and if we finish before the road sweepers that will be a bonus!

If you’re able to donate anything , no matter how small, you’ll be helping Mind support more people in crisis, fund vital services, and change lives. Thank you so much .

Thank you so much for supporting us and for standing up for mental health .

Rachel

xx