We need your help – Join Our 2.6 Challenge!

 

As a young charity, we are proud of the work we have managed to achieve since our inception. We have created:

  • The Hub of Hope, the UK’s go-to signposting tool for local and national mental health services
  • The Ambassador of Hope workplace training programme, trianing thousands of people across the country.
  • A great movement, challenging the stigma surrounding mental health

And we have done all this, while relying almost entirely on public donations.

Which is why we need your help.

We are only a small charity, with a skeleton staff. The coronavirus lockdown, while necessary, has severely impacted our ability to carry out our services and all of our planned fundraising events have been cancelled or sidelined.

We are working just as hard as we always were, trying to take our training programme virtual and expand our services as much as we can — but it is a struggle, and it’s time that we reached out and asked for a bit of help to keep things going.

We are pleased to say that we have joined the 2.6 challenge, which enables supporters to do small events to raise money for charities in need.

You don’t have to give much — the point is to get involved, have some fun with your friends and family in lockdown, and raise a little bit of money at the same time!

I will be shaving 2.6 inches off my hair, my son will be drawing 26 pictures of different people, my daughter will endeavour to get through 26 nappies in one day (realistic, as any parent knows) and my wife will be doing 26 outfit changes in one day!

Nikki Girvan, one of our trustees, will be doing a gruelling 26×26 workout — 26 reps of 26 different exercises.

We have had some fantastic fundraisers over the past couple of years, including Simon, who walked the length of the Somerset coast and Paddy and Rich, who climbed Kilimanjaro, raising over £10,000. We are so grateful for the time, energy and effort that they put into raising money to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health.

If you can challenge yourself to do something fun, exciting — and safe! — in your own home, to raise a little, a lot or whatever you can for us, that would be fantastic. We are grateful for ANY support, so even if you can’t fundraise yourself or donate any money, please get the word out there on social media, from the doorstep, out the window or through a loudspeaker on your daily state-sanctioned constitutional. Every little bit of assistance will help us to continue providing our vital services.

You can donate to our page or set up your own here.

As I wrote in the Independent at the beginning of the lockdown, a mental health crisis is likely to follow this coronavirus pandemic. We want to be as prepared as we possibly can be to help as many people as we can.

Your money will make a huge difference.

Thank you to our existing and new supporters. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Jake

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