"Once we got moving, the wind continued to batter us, but all self-doubt seemed to blow away. It frittered itself away into the landscape. Every step seemed to have a purpose. Spring was arriving and like the grass in the meadows, the reeds in the water, we were ready to grow. We were ready to, quite literally, find our feet after The Baby Years and find answers to the questions that life was throwing in our direction. Who are we? What are we good at? What do we want? Where do we start?"*

Whilst walking the Thames Path is a personal journey for us, it's made all the worthwhile because we're raising money for Mind. Everyone knows someone who is struggling with mental health issues. We have been campaigners for this cause for a while, without even really knowing it, with our writers group 'The Inkpot' becoming a therapeutic outlet for people's thoughts and feelings. Exercise and being outdoors is also wondrous for mental health and, by taking on this challenge, we hope we can encourage many other people to get out there walking and running, and feeling good about it too. We know too well how it feels to be finding your feet in life...

We'd also like to make it clear that this is no leisurely stroll along the river. There are no picnics and no sightseeing (unfortunately). We're storming this path at quite a pace and and committing to at least one hard walk each month with ALL the logistics that go with it (namely 6 children, 5am weekend starts, and parking cars in random places along the way). Don't even mention the map reading...

The Thames is a historic and iconic part of England and we can't wait to explore it. We will locate the source of the river near Cirencester, in the middle of a field known as Trewsbury Mead, and we'll end at the Thames Barrier in Woolwich. We'll pass through numerous towns including Oxford, Reading, Teddington and Richmond, documenting it with photographs all the way.

Thanks for taking the time to hear about our journey. We greatly appreciate any support you can give to the mental health charity Mind.

* extract taken from Charlotte's blog http://www.charlottebrosterphotography.co.uk/finding-my-feet-on-the-thames-walking-for-mind/

(Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity)