Birmingham Mind’s Mental Elf Fun Run Brings Holiday Cheer and Raises £19,200 for Mental Health Support
Each year 250000, equating to 1 in 6 people in Birmingham experience mental health problems. The registered charity, Birmingham Mind was founded in 1962, and their vision is ‘better mental health for all’. They achieve this by working to their values; respect, partnership, recovery, wellbeing and prevention. Birmingham Mind provide vital support to 25000 people each year, and train over 1500 through their workplace training.
Birmingham Mind organises fundraisers throughout the year to raise money to continue supporting people who are struggling with their mental health. One of their most successful events is the Mental Elf Festive Fun Run. Kerrie Henry-Edge, the fundraising lead for Birmingham Mind said, “I am so excited to be doing this event for the second year running, we are so grateful for the support we have”.
On Sunday 1st of December 2024, over 270 participants gathered at Cannon Hill Park to join together to kick off the Christmas spirit with a bit of exercise. The 5K run brought friends, families, colleagues and the local community together for an enjoyable day for all ages. Participants ranged from serious runners who set their watches to time their run, to strollers who chatted to friends all the way around. Families, groups of friends and even dogs reached the finish line to be awarded their medal. The event filled the Birmingham Park with colour, as runners dressed in their best Christmasy attire from elves, reindeers, inflatable Santas and even superhero’s streamed through the beautiful surroundings to the finish line. The event raised an amazing £19200 for Birmingham Mind to contribute to their mental health work and services. There were 2 race options for participants, a 5k route consisting of 3 laps around the park, or a 1 lap route for those who preferred a shorter run. The chosen path is completely paved, ensuring the event was accessible to all, including people in wheelchairs and families with children in pushchairs.
Although the Mental Elf Festive Fun Run is one to enjoy, there is of course a serious message behind it. Statistics released from Mind show that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year, and 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England. For some of the runners there was a very personal reason to be involved. One participant said “We are doing it because we lost our Auntie Marie last May, and she was really close to us, and this is our way to pay respect to her and help prevent anyone else from losing their loved ones.” This highlights how mental health effects everyone, either directly or through someone we know.
So why choose a fun run? Physical activity has lots of benefits for our mental and physical wellbeing. It's a scientific fact that our bodies release feel-good hormones when we're active that can make us healthier and happier, improving mental health. Excersise is good for all of us, and in particular for people who struggle with mental health problems. It boosts our mood, concentration and alertness, and improves our cardiovascular and overall physical health. It increases self-esteem, the immune system and can improve your sleep. However, as many of us know, we sometimes need a little motivation to get active, and events such as this one can be that nudge to get us started. Another participant said “Physical activity is really important for our wellbeing so this event brings in the physical activity and community together, and also it’s a really good opportunity for Birmingham Mind to actually promote the wonderful work that they do”
One of Birmingham Minds trustees said of the event, “it’s a great way of Birmingham Mind enaging with the wider community, raising awareness of mental health issues and also raising some decent money. I’m hoping this is going to benefit our work in a good way”. The money raised will go towards Birmingham Mind’s local services, for example the Birmingham mental health and wellbeing hubs. This is a service that operates from 4 hubs across the city that offers one to one recovery support, recovery focused activities and helps to develop peer-led support networks and groups. The service offers a blended mix of virtual activities and face to face support sessions. Fundraisers like the Mental Elf run allow for Birmingham Mind to pay for the upkeep and employees of these hubs.
Fundraising lead, Kerrie said at the end of the event “thankyou to all of our mental elf festive fun runners, we hope you have an amazing time and we really appreciate your support”. The mental Elf run will return next year with ticket prices released at £6 per child (under 16) and £10 per adult, so start getting your favourite festive costumes together.
Statistics from Mind show that the overall number of people reporting mental health problems went up by 20% between 1993 to 2014. There has also been an increase in the number of people who lose their life to suicide. This highlights how imperative it is for mental health services to continue to operate and how important fundraisers for charities such as Mind are.
To see a video of the highlights of this event visit https://youtu.be/G4yRvzYGUOc?si=hr4WJlYKfW-6vCiY
To find out more information about Mind visit https://www.mind.org.uk
Libby Dovaston