Herts Chalk Walk – a creative initiative which has brought our favourite characters to the streets of St Albans – has raised more than £800 for Mind in Mid Herts.
The group was set up by artist and former Mind service user Zoe Andrews as a way of lifting the spirits of key workers, as the country made its way through the peak of the coronavirus,
As the Facebook group began to gain a lot of interest, Zoe decided to use the platform to fundraise for the mental health charity.
She said: “I wanted to do something to show my support for our key workers, something that could include the whole community.
“Being a mum who’s only recently been diagnosed with EUPD – emotionally unstable personality disorder – after years of trying to find the right support, I’m on a mission to remove the stigma of mental health, especially within the family setting, raise awareness about the services available and remind people that we need to take care of our own minds in order to be able to help others – you cannot pour from an empty jug.
“I never thought I would raise anywhere near what I’ve managed to. I am thankful to the people in my community for their donations and owe my life to the people at Mind in Mid Herts, who helped me in the past to discover who I am today, and that’s why I chose to raise money for them.”
A member and moderator of Herts Chalk Walk, Katharine Harper has also been taking to the streets to contribute her drawings.
In addition, she took up her own personal challenge of completing 25 pushups for 25 days, raising both awareness for mental health and funds for Mind in Mid Herts.
Katharine said: “I’ve gone from not being able to do one full press up to 25 nearly OK ones, raising awareness for suicide risk, PTSD and mental health issues. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK.
“It’s not weak to speak up if you’re struggling. Thank you if you’re talking about mental health! We’ve raised over £100 so thank you if you donated.”
Access and engagement manager at Mind, Adele Hemmings, added: “The support we have gained from the community has truly been inspiring, it really means a lot to us and the people we are supporting.”
If you’d like to donate to Katharine’s fundraiser, you can still do so at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/katharine-harper6.
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