Hello all, thank you for visiting my JustGiving page... I will be running the Cardiff Half Marathon on the 2nd of October and I am fundraising in aid of Mind Aberystwyth! So I thought I'd give a brief run down on what Mind is all about. Mind is a mental health charity, a very important one in my view which gives a place for anyone suffering or going through a hard time to go to for help, advice and support, both in person at centres or over the phone. This service even extends to the people around those suffering, whether it be families and friends, for example. This, to me, is an incredibly vital service.

This is something I am incredibly passionate about... that people who are suffering should not suffer in silence and reach out to the people closest to them, and to reach out to centres such as Mind Aberystwyth, and be given that platform for help and recovery. I am passionate that society becomes more aware and forward thinking about such problems, and the taboo around it gets broken... that people should not be ashamed of such situations. 

This is the reason I am passionate about a charity such as Mind Aberystwyth, because they help give that platform, and gives an individual a platform to reach out and for help and to take part in events like group activities - and boosts the awareness of the issue, both by the sufferer and the people around those suffering. Something I understand having experienced feelings of anxiety and depression in stages of my life. It is said that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. Not just this, but sadly each of us could very well have someone in our own close circle of family and friends experiencing this...even silently out of fear of reaching out. 

As for the run... I'm definitely not doing it just for fun :) my goal is a PB time in the Cardiff Half Marathon... So I hope to raise a fair bit as I will be working hard not just on my goal in the Half Marathon (which I have already started training for) but as always I am going to continue to work hard bettering myself mentally too, which is always ongoing, and will go towards a fantastic charity which helps others achieve the same aim mentally. For anyone living in Aberystwyth, and indeed for anyone who lives in an area with a Mind centre, this charity is very much something we can all witness in action and is very tangible as we have such a fantastic centre within reach which offers drop in sessions and organises group activities.

So I am asking for people to please donate. Big appreciation and thank yous in advance to those who donate. Although I'll probably thank each person individually anyway...!