In March 2020, I will be trekking 100km over 5 days through
the Andes Mountains with 99 other HSBC colleagues from around the world. This
spectacular trek is physically demanding and on one of the highest active
volcanoes in the world. During this trip we will:

•             Trek between 6-8 hours for 5 days

•             Trek at altitudes over 3,500 metres; our maximum altitude will be 4,300 metres (14,108 ft)

•             Carry all our equipment

•             Sleeping at local camps with limited facilities (no beds or hot showers) & at altitudes above 3,000 meters with temperatures below zero at night.

•             Live on basic meals

Collectively, we are aiming to raise $350,000 for mental
health charities around the world. Mental health is so important because it
impacts all of us - whether personally and directly, or through our friends and
family.

Mental health is so important because it impacts all of us –
personally or through our friends and family. Almost half of adults will
experience a mental illness at some point in their lifetime. About half of
mental disorders begin by age 14, and another 25% by age 24. A recent study
outlined that 1 in 4 of us experience mental illness in any given year. Over
one million women were in contact with mental health and learning disability
services over the last year. And more than 51,000 referrals of 15–19-year-olds were
referred to psychological therapies, with referrals for young women double the
number of referrals for young men.

I’ve decided to raise money for a major charity foundation,
the MQ: Transforming Mental Health (MQ).

They provide multi-disciplinary research funding across all
mental health conditions: depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder
(OCD), schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactive-disorder (ADHD),
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and more.

They are dedicating to funding the best and brightest
scientists, to support research not just excellent by national standards, but
world-class; therefore, they are truly international. For instance, the mission
of the MQ Foundation established in New York is closely aligned with that of
the preeminent UK-based organization, MQ: Transforming Mental Health (MQ).

You can find a brief overview of the key research projects
here: https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/research/research-projects.

I feel so privileged and excited to have been given the
opportunity to complete this challenge, to raise awareness and money for a
cause that I think is really important. I am funding the trek myself - all
donations made will go directly to the MQ foundation (https://www.mqmentalhealth.org)

Thank you for your support as I embark on this incredible and humbling
experience.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally
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