Madness4Charity

As well as doing these crazy charities for ‘fun’, it is also to help raise vital funds for some fantastic charities which are close to our hearts. 

Select the charity logo to visit the relevant Justgiving page to help make our suffering worthwhile!

I am doing this for Tommy’s as my wife and I have suffered 4 miscarriages in 3 years, the first in June 2019 with our angel Wallace born sleeping at 14 weeks. We lost our 4th angel this April. Tommy’s has been a great source of support and information during a difficult time and we have a referral to speak to them for advice and options to support if we decide to try for another baby. The fear of something which should be a joyous occasion is heartbreaking,  hearing those words ‘We’re pregnant’ once filled you with joy, now fills you with dread and fear, every scan drains you and makes you feel ill as you hope and pray that the silence from the nurse doesn’t come as they struggle to find a heartbeat, followed by the words no one ever wishes to hear, there is no heartbeat.  

I hope that by supporting Tommy’s more parents will hear that they have a healthy baby and not have to go through this trauma of miscarriage and still birth. x 

Over the years, through many difficult times getting into the great outdoors has been my saviour, whether on the bike or on foot. This March I was hit by a car at a roundabout whilst on the bike, thankfully my injuries were not severe and I was back on the bike, with support from some very good friends a few weeks later. 

Then after returning from holiday in Malta i really struggled to go for a run or cycle. It was like a mental prison every time I went to leave the house. With the accident and suffering a miscarriage around the same time i had become very negative in my thoughts. The less I got outside the worse I felt. Cycling and walking were my escape and way of coping with life and without the ability to get out I really went downhill and my mood and mindset changed. Thankfully, after a couple of months a good friend got me out on the bike, though it was not easy. I felt more tired building the strength to get out than I did on the ride, but I knew I had to do it. 

It made me realise how valuable the outdoors and exercise was to my mental health and general wellbeing, and that is why I really believe in Mind Over Mountains mission and am proud to support them. 

Mind Over Mountains are a mental health charity offering immediate and accessible support by bringing together hill-walking and mindfulness in nature, alongside time with experienced coaches and counsellors in an unpressured, unhurried setting.Here’s what your donation could contribute towards: 

• £40 would pay for one person to attend a day-walk

• £50 would provide a follow-up professional counselling for someone in need

• £195 would cover a full weekend of respite in nature

I love the outdoors and enjoy many happy hours outside. One of the reasons I enjoy it is the safety of knowing that a bunch of highly training people are willing to give up their time away from work, family and their own hobbies to come to my aid if needed. 

So I wanted to give something back to the wonderful Mountain Rescue teams and also to thank my good friends Tim and Howard  for all they have done for Calder Valley Search and Rescue team and also to everyone involved in the Mountain Rescue teams across England and Wales..

So who are Mountain Rescue England and Wales?

There are 49 volunteer mountain rescue teams and eight regional bodies in England and Wales, across nine geographical areas, and we are here to help them deliver the best possible care to their casualties. We can’t do that without your support. Thanks to you, we can provide and maintain the highest standards in casualty care, technical rope rescue and swiftwater rescue. And we can provide key items of kit to teams and help keep their vehicles on the road. And thanks to your legacies, we can plan for the future to ensure this valuable community service remains voluntary and free to the casualty.