I was going to celebrate my 21^st Birthday with a Tandem Skydive (10,000ft) for my chosen charity, Mind. However, Covid-19 postponed my birthday celebrations so it has now been rearranged for my 22nd Birthday which will take place on 17th April 2021. This skydive is something that I have always wanted to do, I have just needed to find the right charity to help. 

For many people, 2020 has been a tough year, from a global pandemic to losing people close to them and facing many other challenges that life throws at us. So supporting this charity is more important now than it ever has been before.   

 With Mental Health increasingly becoming an issue for younger people, it is time they received the help they needed before it was too late. I believe that awareness should be raised, everyone should be more open about their mental health and everyone should do that bit more to help others. You may not have struggled with any mental health issues yourself but you might know someone who has, whether that’s a family member, a friend or a colleague. So I am asking you to help me, help them.

My aim is to help make more services available to those that are struggling to support them when they need someone to talk to. No one should struggle alone and it is okay, not to be okay. And it does not cost anything to be kind. So check on that friend, check on your neighbour and ask them all, how they are doing  

Understanding the Stats:

• 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year
• It is estimated that only 25% of people with mental health problems receive support each year
• Around 5,140 people took their own lives in England and Wales in 2013, an average increase of 4% since 2012 with a 23% rise in Wales
• 50% of people wait over 3 months for talking therapies and over 105,000 people spent time in hospital because of mental health

 With your help in sponsoring my skydive, we can help reduce these stats together and help people stay well, give them a choice and improve the services that are offered to them.

Mental Health isn’t just depression and can also mean; Anger, Anxiety, Bipolar, Eating Problems, Loneliness, Panic Attacks, Paranoia, Phobias and many more. Take a look at a larger list here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/

In words from Caroline Flack "In a world where you can be anything. Be kind."

 From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for taking your time to read this and donate for a cause that could help save a life.

If you need to speak to someone, please do so here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/

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.