Like many people, I have experienced a number of mental health problems throughout my life and with appropriate support have been able to manage them. Heartbreakingly, my eldest son was not as fortunate and we lost him to suicide in February, following a period of severe depression. This has made me determined to raise awareness and try to help change the whole culture around mental health. We all have mental health and it is just as important as physical health. There are many things that need to change within services, which are not currently fit for purpose, but it's really important that we try to prevent mental health problems from developing in the first place. Prevention and early intervention are key to improving the mental health of all.

I'm abstaining from drinking alcohol for the month of October to try to raise funds to research the causes of mental ill health and to prevent mental health problems from developing in the first place. Prevention is much easier than cure. The Mental Health Foundation is the UK’s charity for everyone’s mental health. With prevention at the heart of what they do, the Mental Health Foundation aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive.