Dear family and friends,

It’s the Jarvis family here -  Bob, Margaret, Adam, Tom, Maddie and Jake - and we are looking for your support in helping a wonderful charity. 

Like many other families across the country we have been deeply affected by the impact the pandemic  and lockdown have had on our mental health. As so often in life it’s not until you are personally touched by something that it opens your eyes to reality. And the reality we have discovered is that no one is immune to mental health illness, that the right intervention and support at the right times is absolutely crucial and that our NHS, despite its wonderful and hardworking staff, is being stretched beyond its limits by the mental health crisis arising from the pressures of recent events.

The charity Mind does a fantastic job in providing support and advice to people with a wide range of mental health issues and is an invaluable source of information and support for their families and friends. It promotes positive wellbeing and campaigns against the stigma and discrimination faced by many people experiencing mental health challenges.

In order to raise awareness of the work it does and to provide money to support it we will be taking part in the Minds in Action challenge. To this end we will walk, run and/or cycle ( but not constantly!)  for the duration of the Tokyo Olympics July 23rd to August 6th to add kilometres to our local CPSL Mind team total  ( Cambridge, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire). We will be competing against other local Mind charities and the team with the most points/kilometres  wins.

We’ll keep track of what we do on our Fitbits and Garmin watches linked to the Go Joe App. Exercise plays a vital role in our mental wellbeing and during lockdown the GoJoe App has been helping to encourage people to “exercise on your own but not alone”.

We will be grateful for any support you can give as we attempt to compete alongside the athletes in Tokyo!