Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

At the end of March I am running the (Covid-safe if it goes ahead) Richmond Marathon, to raise money for Mind, a mental health charity, providing advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

It’s been widely reported that the next epidemic will be a mental health epidemic. It's been a very tough year with increase in loss, grieving, loneliness and general doom and gloom. In the UK nearly 1 in 5 adults experienced some form of depression (Aug 2020), before the pandemic that statistic was around 1 in 10, and with a third lockdown this statistic is likely to increase.

Personally I’ve been really struggling to keep positive and stave off anxious feelings recently (although training for a marathon helps!) and I can’t imagine how difficult it’s been for people who live with mental health problems already.

Sadly all charities are really struggling with fundraising at the moment, and the closure of Mind’s charity shops means they’ve lost £1.3m in sales. Meanwhile, calls to its helpline have doubled the usual volume and urgent investment is needed to support their community services.

I’d really appreciate any donation towards this charity, it feels like a very timely cause to support and I thank you for any contribution you can make towards my fundraising target!

Thank you!! 

Annabel xxxxxx