Midlife crisis, or midlife opportunity?!

I’ll soon be reaching a major birthday… and there’s every chance that’s what brought this all on. About a year ago, I ran my 10th ever marathon - in a personal worst time. To get over that I decided if I’m not getting faster, then how about going further… and in Autumn successfully completed a 33-mile ultramarathon in Perthshire. Then not long after, flushed with success, I very rashly entered a 53-mile ultramarathon. Not only that it’s pretty hilly too - named the Highland Fling, the run is along the first half of Scotland’s West Highland Way. As I write, this is happening tomorrow. It’s going to be a very long day. I may not succeed.

Given that there’s a relatively high chance of failure, I will add that it’s also my birthday soon. And I plan on running a marathon later this year which I’m pretty confident I would complete. And if any of that makes you want to part with some money then that would be awesome.

But the best reason to donate is for the cause I’m fundraising for, Place2Be. They’re an awesome charity I’ve supported for a decade or more.

One in five children and young people now have a diagnosable mental health issue. That’s six children in every classroom with a condition like depression or anxiety. The past few years, of Covid, cost-of-living, and all the other pressures people face mean that we have an acute mental health crisis amongst young people.

Place2Be is the UK's leading school-based mental health charity, providing support to children, families and school-based staff when they need it most.

Please help me support Place2Be’s vital work, and together we can make a real difference to children's mental health and ensure that children don’t have to face mental health problems alone.