Buxton woman scales 20 peaks for mental health challenge
A Buxton woman has successfully raised more than £4,000 for a mental health charity after climbing 20 peaks in 20 days.
Laura Hazle from Whaley Bridge climbed the 10 highest peaks in the Lake District and Eryri (Snowdonia) national parks - a total ascent of 20,000 metres – to raise money for Mind Over Mountains.
Despite the challenge taking place in June she faced wind-chill below zero, hail storms, gale-force winds and a huge amount of rain.
“In the 3 weeks, I think I only saw the sun shine 3 times,” she says. Laura says she wanted to raise awareness of the mental struggles many young people face today. Suicide is the biggest killer of young adults. The deaths of 1-in-4 men under 35 years-old and 1-in-5 women are self-inflicted.
“I was very nearly one of those statistics myself,” she says. “I'm took on this challenge not just to raise money for Mind Over Mountains, but because I want to help normalise discussion about mental health.”
The charity Mind Over Mountains organises walks and weekend retreats in places like the Peak District, Lakes and Welsh mountains. Not only is walking and talking in nature itself therapeutic, every walk includes mindfulness sessions and the walkers are accompanied by qualified coaches and counsellors.
“The hills and being in nature helped me reconnect to myself through my darkest times, and whilst walking isn't a cure for mental illness, it certainly has helped me to manage my struggles with depression when I was younger and now helps me maintain mental wellbeing as an adult,” says Laura. “It's amazing what you can achieve just by taking one step at a time.”
Mind Over Mountains is aiming to raise £500,000 to meet the growing demand for mental health services. The charity is increasingly working with social prescribing link workers, who are based within primary care networks such as GP practices. Patients can then qualify for free or heavily subsided places on walks and retreats, funded by the charity.
“Evidence consistently shows a positive relationship between spending time in nature or exposure to nature and good health and wellbeing.” says the charity's chief executive Ian Sansbury.
“Our ambition is to make nature- and activity-based responses to wellbeing the norm in mental health care and support.”
Laura Hazle's fund-raising page is still open for donations via JustGiving.