In late July, my good friend John Matthews and I took on the challenge of walking from Aberystwyth to Newbridge-on-Wye in just two days, camping overnight along the way. It turned out to be one of the toughest experiences I’ve ever faced—both mentally and physically. Just four hours in, my feet were already in agony, the weather quickly turned against us, and we pushed through 40 km a day across rough, mountainous terrain. What kept me going was the incredible cause we were walking for, John’s constant encouragement, and the amazing support from everyone back home.

What is Mind? - “The leading mental health charity in England and Wales that provides support, information, and campaigns for better mental health services and rights”

Receiving a T-shirt from the team at Mind prior to the walk

Why do we choose to fundraise for Mind (Specifically Mid and North Powys Mind)? - We choose this charity because all money raised goes to our local branch in Llandrindod Wells. Highway Adventures strives to impact and be a part of the local community. We want to make a difference to our local area. Mind offers free services to help with mental health.

I myself have struggled with mental health, life can be very tough for all of us. Everybody at some point in their life needs support. We want to support people and this charity aligns with our core values. This is the second fundraiser we have done working with MNP Mind.

We raised a total of £2100 on this fundraiser which is incredible. Our target was £1500. This does not happen without the support of the community. We can’t thank everybody involved enough. Look at what we can achieve when we work together.

We have raised a grand total of £4580 for Mind since we started this business which makes us incredibly proud not just of our team but of this community!

A special thank you to Sian and the guys at the New Inn pub who let us hold a quiz at their establishment and also held a party for when we completed the walk. They really helped make this fundraiser bigger and better.

To finish this post, I just want to say thank you again to everyone involved and who donated. This is only the beginning of community projects, we can’t wait for the next one!

And if you are struggling with mental health please reach out to someone. I am happy to go for a coffee and chat with anyone who needs. There are people out there that want to help. Below are the contact details for MNP Mind. They offer so many services and there is absolutely no shame in asking for help, asking for help has saved my life.

Email: admin@mnpmind.org.uk

Number: 01597 824411

Website: https://mnpmind.org.uk/

Address: The Dance Centre, Arlais Road, Llandrindod Wells, Powys LD1 5HE