Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My name is Mark Gresty and I will not cut, shave or trim my hair or facial hair for two whole years. So it shall not get cut until 20th September 2014.

On 16th August 2012, I lost a very dear friend to me his name was Andrew James Washington aged 26.

Andy (or 'Washy' as most people known him) was a very happy-go-lucky type of person with a big heart and a passion for life. Andy lived life to the fullest as he just loved adventure and he was always up for having fun.

But one day Andy changed... He fell into Depression.

He isolated himself away from the outside world and got to the point where he took his own life.

This just wasn't Andy. He was not a Depressive person at all which just goes to show that it can effect anybody.

There are charities out here that can help people beat Depression but personally I feel that there isn't enough awareness on Depression and the help thats out there. That is why I am doing this.

If speaking truthfully I thought like most people that Depression is just feeling fed-up and upset and you can go and see your GP and get some anti-depressants for a pick me up. In some cases this maybe true but in others this is a very serious illness and thats what it is an ILLNESS.

Recent studies show that 1 in 5 people in the UK are suffer or have suffered from Depression in some way in their lives. This is a huge amount and I think more people need to be aware of whats out there to help you beat it. Even if it's not you that suffers, if you have read this page it may make you aware so you can help others.

The charity I am trying to raise money and awareness for is DepressionAlliance. They can help you in a number of ways such as;

Someone To Talk To.

Self Help Groups.

Penfriend Schemes.

Valuable Information on What is Actually Happening and much more...

Here is a section from the DepressionAlliance website www.depressionalliance.org

The word 'depression' is used to describe everyday feelings of low mood which can affect us all from time to time. Feeling sad or fed up is a normal reaction to experiences that are upsetting, stressful or difficult; those feelings will usually pass.

If you are affected by depression, you are not 'just' sad or upset. You have an illness which means that intense feeling of persistent sadness, helplessness and hopelessness are accompanied by physical effects such as sleeplessness, a loss of energy, or physical aches and pains.

Sometimes people may not realise how depressed they are, especially if they have been feeling the same for a long time, if they have been trying to cope with their depression by keeping themselves busy, or if their depressive symptoms are more physical than emotional.

Here is a list of the most common symptoms of depression. As a general rule, if you have experienced four or more of these symptoms, for most of the day nearly every day, for over two weeks, then you should seek help.

• Tiredness and loss of energy
• Persistent sadness
• Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem
• Difficulty concentrating
• Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable or interesting
• Undue feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
• Sleeping problems - difficulties in getting off to sleep or waking up much earlier than usual
• Avoiding other people, sometimes even your close friends
• Finding it hard to function at work/college/school
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of sex drive and/ or sexual problems
• Physical aches and pains
• Thinking about suicide and death
• Self-harm

I really hope everybody will help me achieve my goal and I will try and update pictures of my progress along the way.

Once again thank you for visiting my JustGiving page, Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are 100% safe with JustGiving - They never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every single donation by a UK taxpayer. So it's the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now.

If you are unsure about donating online you can now donate via text. Just text WASH86 £_ with the amount you wish to donate to 70070. Choose from £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 and PLEASE tick the GIFT AID box as we get an extra 25% on top of you donation.

Missing You Everyday Washy, You'll Never Be Forgotten X

Thank you and please share the link www.justgiving.com/Mark-Grestys-Challenge