This year the employees of P&A have voted to support North East Wales Mind as their chosen charity of the year and we will be taking part in numerous challenges to raise as much money as possible for this worthwhile cause.

North East Wales Mind help people in Flintshire and Wrexham recover from mental health problems and stay emotionally healthy. They do this by providing information and advice, social groups, peer support, counselling, training, holistic therapies and activities such as creative arts and walking. Research shows that every year 1 in 4 people experience stress, anxiety, depression or another type of mental distress. That means over 59,000 people in Flintshire and Wrexham are likely to be affected this year alone.

Raising awareness about mental and emotional health is something very close to my heart, having directly experienced the devastating impact that stigma and silence can have, not only on the person themselves, but on their interpersonal relationships.

So along with colleagues I am taking part in lots of events this year - Chester 10k, 24 hour relay walk, Abseil Liverpool Cathedral and an Elf Dash. But I wanted to go big and am challenging myself in the Manchester Marathon on 14th April. It's gonna hurt - a LOT - but it's one day and no comparison to the daily battle of living with mental distress.

My motivation comes from all the people I love and care about who have struggled over the years, and especially in memory of my beautiful nephew Alfie, who ended his life last year just 10 days after his 18 birthday.

Sadly, according to the ONS statistics from 2021, 1905 young people took their own lives, three quarters of them were young men. Death by suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 35. We have to do more to remove the stigma and silence that surrounds mental wellbeing and make it as easy to talk about our mental health as it is to talk about a bad back.

Mind is doing much to make that a reality and any support you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Hazel