Northampton mental health charity taking on 20-day challenges to raise funds for vital services

A team of colleagues and volunteers at a local mental health charity are taking on individual 20-day challenges to raise vital funds.

Northampton and District Mind has continued to provide important mental health services during the pandemic and has even moved some of its services online.

To make sure these services can continue, the team needs to raise funds, so they have come up with a range of challenges, from giving up chocolate for 20 days to running for 20 minutes everyday for 20 days.

Nick Tite, lead fundraiser for the charity, said: “When we locked down at the end of March, we didn’t have a chance to get involved in the 26.2 challenge for the London Marathon.

“So we thought we’d get together and do our own along the same lines.

“We’re all doing different things so service users or supporters can join in if they want or they can just donate.”

The challenge, which began at the start of this week, includes 20 members of team Northampton and District Mind.

From being vegan for 20 days to taking on the Joe Wicks workouts everyday, there is a wide range of activities involved in the fundraising effort.

Nick added: “Some people are doing physical things, others aren’t. There are all sorts of things going on.

“Our fundraising events have been cancelled or suspended so we’re really trying to fill that gap.

“We originally set our fundraising target at £500 and I thought we’d see how things go.

“But we’d reached that within three days so we upped it to £1,000.

“The generosity of people never seizes to amaze me.”

For Nick and the team it is really important that they raise these funds to ensure that people who need their services can still access them even throughout a global pandemic.

“We’re trying to keep as many services going as possible, even if they’re in a different format,” he continued.

“The services are as important now if not more important than even.

“We’ve seen a big increase in people seeking our services and referrals, so we are doing all we can to meet the need.”

To donate or get involved, visit the charity's JustGiving page.

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