RYAN THOMAS
I'm fundraising for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
Fundraising for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
Story
Hi everyone,
Thank you for visiting my Just Giving page – I need YOU to help me make a difference!
I will be walking 10 marathons in 10 days from London to Manchester, raising money for mental health and suicide prevention charity CALM, [charity no. 1110621].
Starting from Buckingham Palace on Monday 10th May, the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week 2021, I will finish at Manchester Cathedral on Wednesday 19th May.
The total walking distance will be 262 miles and there will be 9 overnight stops via 6 canals. In route order locations are Harefield; Tring; Wolveton; Welton; Coventry; E.Litchfield; Stafford; Congleton; Stockport.
Some facts about CALM:
- CALM - the Campaign Against Living Miserably - are leading a movement against suicide
- Every week 125 people in the UK take their own lives
- 75% of all UK suicides are male – this has been the case for decades
- COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on mental health and has increased those suffering with severe depression
- Middle aged men in the UK and Ireland experience higher suicide rates than any other groups
- CALM exists to change this. Through frontline services, national campaigns, and by building communities, they’re there for everyone who’s struggling with life. No matter what.
- The CALM helpline and webchat is open 365 days a year for people in the UK who are struggling for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support.
- Calls and webchats are free, anonymous, non-judgemental and confidential - 0800 58 58 58 / thecalmzone.net for more information
- CALM’s trained helpline staff directly prevented 564 suicides in 2020
I am lucky enough to have a big following and as someone in the public eye I want to use it for positive change. The stats are shocking, and we need to do something about it. If one life is saved by me doing this challenge, if someone checks on their friend, or uses CALM for advice and help – then it’s been worth it.
I’ll also be using this time and challenge to use my platform to give
the charity, mental health experts and survivors a platform to tell their story.
Please donate to this amazing charity, and of course keep up to date
with my training and challenge in May. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it!
Thank you for your support, it means so much to me and the CALM team.
Ryan x
