1 in every 4 of us will suffer from mental illness at some point throughout the course of our life's and that can manifest itself in a number of different ways whether in the form of anxiety, insecurity, anorexia, bulimia and yet despite its commonality, the social stigma and lack of adequate mental health support services available mean many of those will continue to suffer in silence.

To lend some perspective, here are some facts:

• 1 in 4 people will experience mental health problems at some point during their life and 1 in 6 experienced mental health problems in the past week
• Suicide is the most common cause of death in men aged 20-49 years in England & Wales
• One person in fifteen had made a suicide attempt at some point during their life
• In 2013, there were 8.2 million cases of anxiety in the UK
• In England, women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety than men
• In 2013, 6,233 suicides were recorded in the UK for people aged 15 and older (78% male, 22% female)

The problem is real, this is not just a problem - it's an epidemic and we need to make meaningful change now, as the problem grows so too should our capability as a society to deal with it. Unfortunately, a lack of central government investment in mental health services and the social stigma still attached to mental health problems means many of those suffering and those impacted are left without the support or treatment they need and this is where MIND come in.

When you're experiencing a mental health problem, supportive and reliable information can change your life. That's what MIND do. They empower people to understand their condition and the choices available to them through:

• Their Infoline which offers callers confidential help for the price of a local call
• Their Legal Line which provides information on mental health related law to the public, service users, family members/carers, mental health professionals and mental health advocates
• Their award-winning publications and website, now certified by the Information Standard.

MIND and other charities like them are the unsung hero's where improving mental health service provision & support is concerned, driving the mental health improvement/awareness agenda and without them, the many more sufferers would go on living in emotional and mental pain.

You've seen the great work that MIND do, but they're a charity and like all charities they rely on charitable donations to continue their great crusade and this is why I am running the Plymouth half marathon to raise (I hope) £500 to help those in need.

I hope you feel you can donate even just a small sum of money towards this essential charity.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this and please do visit the MIND website to see first hand the excellent work that they do on www.mind.org.uk

Warm Wishes,

Jake