Health and fitness fundraising campaign ‘smashes target’ for Mind

07 Mar 2018 News

A health and fitness fundraising campaign raising money on behalf of mental health charity Mind has raised over £750,000, making it the charity’s second most successful campaign ever.

R.E.D (Run Every Day) January raised £760,000 for Mind in January, a seven-fold increase from the the £140,000 raised by the event in 2017. The event was first held in January 2016 when 1,000 participants raised £35,000 for the charity.

The £760,000 raised makes R.E.D January 2018 the second highest event fundraising total for the charity.

The 2018 iteration of the event had more than 22,900 participants, including Olympic champion Dame Kelly Homes. Mind ambassador Fearne Cotton was also involved in this year’s event.

R.E.D January was founded in October 2015 by Hannah Beecham and first run in January 2016. It was intended to highlight the positive effects that physical exercise can have for those suffering from mental health issues. Beecham said the £760,000 raised by ‘REDers’ in this year’s event would help pay for volunteers on Mind’s helpline to answer over 120,000 calls from those in need of help.

“Witnessing the life-changing effect that a physical challenge had on my Mum’s mental wellbeing inspired me to start a social movement that promotes mental wellbeing through exercise.

“I launched R.E.D January in October 2015. Three Januarys in, it's wonderful to see the community grow in supportive strength. Due to this year's incredible growth, we're already working on ways to make sure R.E.D January 2019 provides more of a nourishing experience than the last.”

“All funds raised from R.E.D January will go towards Mind’s vital work such as the Mind Infoline, information and advice services, as well as the campaigning they do to make sure everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets the support and respect they deserve.

“To put R.E.D January’s fundraising total into context, it costs £6 to answer one call to the Mind Infoline; Mind’s expert helpline for anyone needing advice and support about mental health problems. Mind’s helpline answers 76,323 calls a year. The amount R.E.D January 2018 has raised equates to over 127,000 calls answered, making a huge difference to people’s lives.”

Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said: “We're tremendously grateful to everyone who took part in R.E.D January, not only for taking on the challenge but for helping to raise awareness about mental health.

“Their support for Mind’s vital work will help ensure that the one in four of us who experiences a mental health problem each year has somewhere to turn to for support and advice. Every step REDers took throughout January has helped us to take a step forward for everyone living with a mental health problem. We simply couldn’t do what we do without them.”

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