Pontville School Blog 116: Charity Walk
Laura Philliskirk, Teaching Assistant from Pontville School recently took part in an activity to raise money and awareness for a charity. Here she explains her latest adventure.
I decided to try a bit of fundraising for the charity MIND. I joined an event called ‘from dawn till dusk’ which involved trekking in Scotland continuously for 12 hours from 6am to 6pm! I headed up to Scotland and met the group of people and our guide. We set off with head torches in the dark and as we walked, we watched the sunrise which was beautiful. What struck me as we walked together as a team was the different stories people had to tell and their experiences of mental health and it was heartwarming that they were willing to share their stories to help others. This reiterated the importance of discussing these issues and reducing the stigma around mental health. It also confirmed that it’s alright to have problems and that there is always someone there to support them.
It was the most amazing experience and as the day went on, the group showed support towards each other. When someone fell in the stream, we helped them up and laughed together, when blisters appeared, we waited and encouraged them to keep going. We finally made it to the finish line, exhausted but very proud. I raised £400 and as a group over £21, 000 was raised through fundraising events by groups and individuals.
I am hoping to do more fundraising for MIND and continue to work towards improving mental health for our pupils by contributing to our positive mental health group at Pontville School.