Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Having decided to run one last London Marathon to mark my 60^th birthday and complete my London hat-trick, the most important thing left for me to do was choose a charity that was important to me to raise funds for. (UPDATE MARCH 2023 - Due to a series of niggling injuries ending with a calf tear I have had to defer to 2024, but I will also be attempting to complete the Richmond Marathon and Tonbridge half marathon later in 2023 as a penance!)

Over the years I have raised money for many great causes: Muscular Dystrophy, MacMillan, Tommy’s and Cancer Research to name but a few.  For my last hurrah I am choosing Mind (https://www.mind.org.uk) who exist to ensure that the 1 in 4 people who have mental health problems at some time in their lives get the help they need and deserve.

But why Mind?  

Turning 60 is a reflective time of life and as I look back at how I got here and the people and events that have shaped and influenced me I recall how, sadly, both my parents - always so supportive of me and my sister - struggled with their mental health for much of their adult lives.  

It is clear to me now that the care and treatment they received was patchy and ineffective at best and ill-informed and harmful, on occasions, at worst.

The toll these issues took on them personally was heart breaking to observe and also had a massive impact on those around them.  

Mind recognise how hard it can be to know what to do when you, or someone close to you, has a mental health problem; their information service aims to provide helpful advice on getting and giving support and accessing targeted help from a range of sources – exactly the sort of help my parents and my sister and I could have benefitted from in an era when mental health issues were not readily acknowledged and sufferers not understood or respected.

So, this run is for everyone who is touched by mental health issues and to help Mind 

Please give generously, knowing that 82p in every £1 Mind receives goes directly towards supporting the work they do to ensure people in crisis are not alone.

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.

Ian