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ONE WOKINGHAM woman is pulling out all the stops to get people talking about mental health.
Heather Murray has kickstarted the new year with a fitness charity fundraiser – she’s been busy ‘moving for Mind’.
The charity supports people across England and Wales who are facing mental health issues.
And on New Year’s Day, it launched Move for Mind, an annual fundraising campaign to get people thinking about their mental wellbeing while getting fit at the same time.
Those who take part sign up to get moving for 30 days this winter, and the money raised goes towards funding Mind’s support services.
“Last year, a friend of mine took part and she raised just shy of £3,000,” Heather explained.
“Recently, I’ve been on my own mental health journey and I decided that I want to turn my experience into something positive – I want to become an ambassador for mental health.”
She says that from a mental health perspective, the challenge has lifted her out of “that dark cloud”.
“I feel so much better for doing it,” she said. “I feel like it’s given me a purpose again so it’s been really, really good.”
After getting a Peloton bike for her birthday, Heather decided it was only fitting to ‘Move for Mind’ while making use of her gift and set herself the challenge of embarking on 30 continuous days of cycle rides.
“It might be 10 minutes of exercise, it might be 45 minutes, but that doesn’t matter. Until the end of January, I will be getting on that bike every day,” she explained.
While some days it’s easier to stay motivated than others, she says that her husband and a close friend are doing the challenge alongside her, which makes it a lot easier.
Heather is also taking to social media to keep people up to date on her progress while encouraging them to be aware of their mental wellbeing.
“What I want to do is show people that you’re not weak for being open,” she explained.
“If you have mental health problems, the process of working through it and having to deal with it, whether it maybe something like anxiety or low mood, can make you stronger and more resilient.
“All I’ve tried to do is inspire people to move and I’m really liking it. I think it’s really impacting people in a positive way, particularly in the climate we’re in at the moment.”
And Heather says that the feedback from family and friends has been “amazing”, and has given her the confidence to keep sharing her journey.
“I’ve had quite a lot of people saying that I’ve inspired them to get a bike or move every day and it’s really made me feel that I have a voice,” she said.
“It’s made me realise that actually, nobody has laughed at me or thinks that what I’m doing is silly so the support just really cheers me up.”
So far, Heather has raised just over £1,000 for Mind, doubling her initial target of £500, and says she’s feeling really proud.
For more details, or to donate, visit: moveformind.blackbaud-sites.com/fundraising/the-murray-move-for-mind
