Shared Support

A mile in my shoes

 

I have set up this campaign in order to raise funds by way of a 'sponsored walk'. For every £10 donated I pledge to walk a mile and all donations received will be split 50/50 between the mental health charity 'Mind' and myself. Please read on to understand why I am doing this.  

 

About Mind

 

www.mind.org.uk

 

"Every year, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem. But hundreds of thousands of people are still struggling. We believe no-one should have to face a mental health problem alone. We’ll listen, give you support and advice, and fight your corner. Mental health Information & support

 

When you're experiencing a mental health problem, supportive and reliable information can change your life. That's what we do. We empower people to understand their condition and the choices available to them..."  

 

About Me

 

Ok, so you are bound to be asking "why should I donate when you will keep half of the money for yourself?"

 

Well here's the thing...

 

A little over a year ago I was forced to give up work due to depression and anxiety. It was a huge decision to make but one that was necessary to improve my ongoing mental health and my ability to function normally for my children. The biggest concern with this was the fact that my career at the time made me the major breadwinner for our family and I worried how we would cope on a single, lower income. For a time, the small amount of savings we had were able to bridge the gap and I also received support from the government but my entitlement to that ended after 365 days.

 

Unfortunately, now the money has run out and for the first time we've found ourselves unable to pay all of the bills. We are falling behind, penalty charges are accruing and all the time we are worrying about how to continue to provide for our family, how to pay for the day to day necessities, the random emergencies and the luxuries of Christmas and birthdays as they approach.  

 

I may not be able to work to support our family, but I can walk and I can share the support that I receive. I have set up a blog, https://inmyshoessite.wordpress.com to share evidence of the donations that I have made to Mind and to keep track of the miles that I have walked using a GPS tracker (and any stories I may have to share along the way!) Thank you for taking the time to consider my campaign and many blessings to you if you do decide to help me in my quest to give a little and earn a little.