Victoria Morris's Challenge for Mental Health Awareness Week Mental Health Awareness Week will take place from 18th-24th May 2020. As you may already be aware, I have been raising money for Mental Health Research UK for the past few years. Mental Heath Awareness Week seemed like a good opportunity to come up with a new challenge. In light of the current situation regarding the corona virus, I have decided to share monies raised with NHS Charities Together. During Mental Heath Awareness Week 2020, I am going to challenge myself to climb the North Face of the Eiger ...  ... but without leaving home, so it will look something more like this ...  Up the rope ... in through the window ... down the stairs ... up the rope ... and so on ... I will climb the North Face of Mayfield Cottage, using a prusik knot to ascend a fixed rope. If I can repeat this 492 times it will be equivalent to the height of the North Face of the Eiger: 5,900 feet. You can watch a video of my first ascent here. Money raised will be split equally between Mental Health Research UK, and NHS Charities Together. I have been fundraising for Mental Health Research UK (MHRUK) since 2017, in memory of Martin Sutherland, who sadly took his own life in 2011. Martin was a wonderful caring person, and a hugely talented musician, and is greatly missed by everyone who knew him. I've known Martin and his family since my early teens, and wanted to help support MHRUK as they have also done since Martin's death. While there are many charities which support people
experiencing mental health difficulties, MHRUK is unique in that it funds
research into the causes and cures of mental illnesses. Many of the medication
options available for mental health conditions have horrific side-effects, and
much more work could – and should - be done to improve the treatment options
available; people with mental ill-health deserve the same standard of care as
people with physical ill-health. My husband and I are both keen mountaineers, and spend as
many days out in the hills and mountains as we possibly can. Opportunities for
mountaineering having been somewhat limited recently due to the lockdown, I
began contemplating climbing up the outside of our house! The obvious route was
up the north-facing wall, which led to my idea: to climb the equivalent of the As an additional challenge, for every £1,000 raised, I decided to sleep on a home-made porta-ledge, which effectively means me being strapped to the wall of the house! I’m writing this having spent one night on the porta-ledge so far. With £2,600 raised so far, I’m desperately hoping that the total doesn’t go over £3,000 before Friday and consign me to a third night outside! ;-) At this point I should add a note of caution: I know what
I’m doing with ropes and knots; this is not something that you should attempt
yourself unless you’re already a confident climber or mountaineer. With 320 of my 492 ascents complete, my prusiking technique is definitely improving, and I’m learning how to climb more efficiently by keeping my body streamlined with the rope. The climb has also led to some interesting conversations with the neighbours, when they look up and see someone struggling to get in through an upstairs window! 
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For further information, or to pledge support, please contact us by sending an email to trustees@mhruk.org
Mental Health Research UK is the first UK charity dedicated to raising funds for research into mental illness, their causes and cures.
Mental Health Research UK is linked with The Schizophrenia Research Fund
Mental Health Research UK is a registered charity - England No. 1125538
© Mental Health Research UK 2017
