Countdown to annual Lamp 5k challenge to raise awareness of mental health
Lamp, the Leicester-based mental health charity, is running its annual Lamp 5k fundraising campaign from 15-21 May 2023, to coincide with this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week. The Lamp 5k campaign aims to raise much-needed funds for the charity and will focus on the positive impact that physical exercise has on mental health.
The theme of this year’s Lamp 5k campaign is ‘Climbing mountains for mental health’, highlighting that physical activity is good for your mental health and wellbeing. People in Leicester and Leicestershire will be challenged to walk, run, swim, ride or take part in any activity to achieve the 5k distance, and raise funds for Lamp in the process. The charity also wants to spotlight people who overcome obstacles to their mental health and wellbeing in everyday life.
On average, it costs around £750 for Lamp to navigate someone through the complexities of mental health and to empower them to rebuild their life after experiencing mental ill-health. Participants in the Lamp 5k are encouraged to get sponsorship for each kilometre covered/challenge achieved/mountain overcome to collectively raise £29,000 – the height of Mount Everest in feet.
To see how you can take part in Lamp’s 2023 5k challenge, visit www.lampadvocacy.co.uk/lamp5k, log your 5km and download a fundraising pack. If you would like to sponsor, fundraise or get involved in other ways, please contact the charity at info@lampdirect.org.uk.
The Lamp 5k is also part of the Big Give’s Kind²Mind national campaign which means that all donations made from 12pm on Monday 15 May to 12pm on Monday 22 May will be match-funded by the Big Give Champions. This will enable Lamp to double funds raised from Lamp 5k donations and sponsorship, meaning that your money can support twice as many service users of Lamp’s mental health advocacy services. All donations must be received at the Big Give website at https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002PordBAAR to qualify for match funding.
Lamp’s 5k challenge is now its third year and it has set the ambitious fundraising target this year to support the charity’s increasing number of service users and carers who need mental health advocacy throughout Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Richard Kotulecki, Lamp’s CEO said:
“Experiencing a mental health issue is like finding yourself in a strange forest – it is dark, lonely, frightening and can be life-threatening. Lamp provides mental health advocacy services to navigate people through and out of that forest – through the complexity of getting the right mental health support in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. Ultimately, our advocates empower people to rebuild their lives. The Lamp 5k challenge is our major annual fundraiser, so we’re hoping that people will really get behind us this year, get involved, raise money and donate. But aside from the fundraising aspect, we appreciate that the physical challenge is not easy for all to complete so we’re also encouraging people to take the time to ‘climb their own mountain’ and overcome their own mental obstacles during the week.”
CBA Business Solutions is the headline sponsor of this year’s Lamp 5k with Daly Systems as an event partner. Other supporters of Lamp 5k include: Barker Hughes; Brooks and Co; Cite; Cross Productions; Empire Finance; Heather Philip; Hollingsworths Solicitors; HSP Financial Planning; Imperial Roofing; J D Alpha; KCH Gardens; Michael Cummins; Michael Hill Partnership; One Creative; Pattersons; Pete Martin Photography; Purple House Clinic; Rutland House Counselling & Psychotherapy; Sandstar Communications; Sarah Higgins Corporate Coaching; Steven Mather Solicitor; Torr Waterfield and Trident.
