Why I Chose to Support Young People’s charity Young Minds through 7 Wonders in 7 Days
Here’s that long promised blog post about why I chose to support Young Minds, the only charity in the UK dedicated to young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Nearly 18 months ago when I scribbled some ideas down about ‘doing a round-the-world charity fundraising project that raised lots of money for 7 charities through a visit to the 7 new wonders of the world in 7 days’, I knew that one of the charities had to do something specifically for young people in the UK.
I think back now to that first brainstorming session…
I’d just been moved to tears by an episode of Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire TV show which showed a man caring for his elderly wife who had Alzheimer’s disease.
Something about that TV programme reminded me of what my Gran had been like before she died. And what my family both in the UK and in Nigeria where she lived had been through before she passed away. I’d only just got back to Manchester after travelling to Nigeria for her funeral.
I picked up a ketchup-stained copy of a free magazine I’d found in a city-centre Subway cafe earlier and read a travel article about the new 7 wonders of the world.
I learnt that they were Taj Mahal in India, Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, Machu Picchu in Peru and Petra in Jordan.
Apparently all seven had been voted as the ‘new 7 wonders’ by 100 million people in an online vote and announced on 7th July 2007, 7-07-07.
I’d never heard of them before.
It was a fairly informative travel piece but nestled between the travel tips and flight prices to each destination was what I interpreted as a barefaced ‘challenge’.
I don’t know why but this line taunted me to do a quick calculation on how much it cost to visit all 7 wonders in one trip.
It read: “you’d either be crazy or rich to attempt to visit all 7 new wonders of the world in one two-week trip”.
Somehow I misread the end of the sentence and imagined attempting the challenge in a ‘one-week trip’. I put the words “7 wonders in 7 days” together and from then on it became a matter of not if but when.
I scribbled down seven ‘types’ of charities I wanted to support through the project and then did some Googling to find the right ones.
The only thing I was sure of was that one of them had to be focused on research into the causes and treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
There were other ‘issues’: diabetes, female literacy in the developing world, religious freedom and the persecuted church… but those are best dealt with in another blog post.
I hadn’t yet chosen the scary fundraising target of £777,000. That decision came a few days later.
So… why did I pick Young Minds?
Well, I was really thankful to find that there was a charity dedicated to young people in the UK. And the fact that the charity’s focus was young people’s mental health was amazing!
I wish I’d known about Young Minds telephone service when I was a lot younger. The charity provides a telephone helpline service to parents with a concern about their child’s emotional problems or behaviour.
I know a family who recently went through the trauma of a child’s suicide. I think something like Young Minds Parents Helpline would have helped.
I think the 21st century is a hostile place to grow up in, particularly if you live in the West. There’s a huge amount of pressure to *appear* successful, attractive and popular.
Even if your parents are amazingly supportive, there is so much pressure to be popular that it’s no wonder kids go beserk sometimes.
I’ve got friends who struggle with eating disorders, depression and other dark emotional ‘stuff’ that goes beyond teenage angst and seems to linger as they get older.
No one seems to be doing the hard job of reassuring young people that there is a middle ground. That it is perfectly normal to have ‘emotional’ issues that you’d rather talk to a stranger about.
So that’s why I’m supporting Young Minds through 7 Wonders in 7 Days. I’m honoured that they are supporting my efforts. Young Minds Chief Executive Sarah Brennan says my idea is innovative and amazing…. how kind!
I’d be absolutely over the moon if a supporter of Young Minds wins a place in my competition for a travel companion to join me on the 7 Wonders in 7 Days trip in October.
I’m looking for 7 lucky people to join me.
Each lucky ‘travel companion’ wins a 3 day holiday to one of the new 7 wonders of the world.
To enter the travel companion competition, just create a 60 second video saying what you’d give Young Minds in a dream donation and why. Here’s an example.
How does this raise money for the charity, you ask?
Well, each lucky travel companion’s dream donation becomes part of my fundraising target.
So, if you enter the YouTube competition and win, you join my fundraising page on Virgin Money Giving.
This means your friends and family can donate to the project as we both embark on this amazing adventure and help me achieve my target.
Enter and help me do something bold to support Young Minds’ work.
God knows we need them to keep doing what they’re doing.
What do you think? Do you support Young Minds?
I’d love to know your thoughts.
Please leave me a comment and let me know!
Image credit: Jeanette LeBlanc on Flickr
Related posts:
- Young Minds UK Give Their Support To #7w7d
- Young Minds ambassador and British racecar driver Jon Lancaster talks to 7 Wonders in 7 Days
- Young Minds UK on changes to special needs funding
- Jon Lancaster & Isy Suttie To Guest Star In Thursday’s Young Minds UK Twitter Q&A
- How Far Can You Travel With Diabetes? Why I chose to support Diabetes UK…
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