Mental health charity Mind has launched Happy Monday, a new mass participation event where people will fundraise on behalf of the charity today.

The charity is encouraging people to hold events in their homes and workplaces to raise funds for the charity on the least popular day of the week. As of last Friday, over 200 people and organisations had signed up for today’s event. Additional events will also be held at Local Minds and Mind shops across the country. The charity hopes to raise at least £15,000 from the debut year of the event.

Mind is encouraging people to play games, bake and take part in other activities to fundraise for the charity.

Comedian and writer Stephen Fry, Mind president, has personally endorsed the fundraising effort.

“I’m hoping the kind people of Britain will roll up their sleeves on 10 March, for Mind’s inaugural Happy Monday," he said.

“It’s a delightful excuse to spend time with friends and loved ones, or to tempt colleagues away from their desks, to raise vital funds for the one in four people who experience a mental health problem every year.”

There has been an increase in mass-participation events like this one following the success of Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, which in 2013 raised a record £20m.

On 15th May Fundraising First Thing is holding a breakfast debate on mass participation fundraising