Last January I took part in Move for Mind, and I would thoroughly recommend it. Mind is such a great charity and the fundraising challenge is a really great way of building up movement and motivation in way that is manageable and helpful for each person. You even get a free t-shirt when you sign up and extra goodies when you hit fundraising milestones.
But this year I wanted to raise awareness around and funds for a lesser known mental health charity that I am grateful to have been supported by. So this January I’m taking part in ‘Laps for The Listening Place’ (yes, I made this up, and yes, maybe this doesn’t sound quite as catchy).
Before I continue, I just want to give a quick trigger warning.
The Listening Place supports people experiencing suicidal thoughts, and whilst I’m not going to go into much depth or detail of my experience in this space, a couple of the sentences below might be a little hard to read, so do skip the next few paragraphs if that works best for you.
In the charity’s own words, The Listening Place offers free face to face support for those who feel that life is no longer worth living. They offer a warm and welcoming environment; somewhere individuals can talk openly about their feelings.
In the apparent absence of support from the mental healthcare system, the monthly sessions that I received from The Listening Place across 2022 and 2023 were invaluable.
The following fact still shocks me. Suicide kills around 18 people every day in the UK. 18 people, with lives, families, friends, histories, hopes, or lost hopes, loves, or lost loves. Most of those who die have sought but not found support and help. I know this is stating the obvious, but this reality is not ok. Those seeking support should be able to receive support.
So each day I will be doing 18 laps. One lap for every person, for every life that has been lost too soon. These laps will take the form of swimming, walking or cycling, or any other form of exercise that I might be persuaded into – it’s very unlikely that running will ever make the cut.
For example, one day I might swim 18 lengths in a pool, the next day I’ll walk 18 laps of Limehouse basin, followed by 18 laps of cycling in Victoria Park the next. Just like my fun but very amateur graphic below…
The Listening Place’s mission is to provide those who feel life is no longer worth living with a safe place to come and talk freely and confidentially to warm, non-judgemental volunteers who are willing to engage with their feelings and support them through their darkest times.
Visit my Instagram page for details on how to donate, or watch out for my next blog post as I begin this 31 day fundraising challenge. Would you consider donating to my fundraiser this January to help raise money for this important work?
The Lilies of the Field 