Senior Recruitment Consultant Kyle Roberts has taken it upon himself to walk a whopping 26.2 miles in memory of his Dad who lost his life to mental illness when Kyle was young. Another reason Kyle decided to to the Walkathon was due to the huge negative impact that the Covid-19 Pandemic is having on people's mental health. Suicide rates continue to rise, particularly among the male population.
According to Mind, the mental health charity, during the pandemic:
More than half of adults and over two-thirds of young people said that their mental health has got worse during the period of lockdown restrictions.
Restrictions on seeing people, being able to go outside and worries about the health of family and friends are the key factors driving poor mental health. Boredom is also a major problem for young people.
Loneliness has been a key contributor to poor mental health. Feelings of loneliness have made nearly two thirds of people’s mental health worse during the past month, with 18–24 year olds the most likely to see loneliness affect their mental health.
Many people do not feel entitled to seek help, and have difficulty accessing it when they do. 1 in 3 adults and more than 1 in 4 young people did not access support during lockdown because they did not think that they deserved support.
A quarter of adults and young people who tried to access support were unable to do so. Not feeling comfortable using phone/video call technology has been one of the main barriers to accessing support.
The charity that Kyle is raising money for is Mental Health UK. They are a national charity who offer support to people of all ages across the country. They provide information, help and advice on things such as
Coronavirus
Advice for parents and guardians
Peer support
Money advice
Local Support
Kyle is doing the walk with his twin brother Rhys and another friend. They are setting of at 8am from Cleveleys and heading along the coast towards Blackpool and then through Preston to Kyle's house. He said, "I feel it is more important than ever to raise awareness of the fact that people are struggling with poor mental health. Obviously it's a cause very close to my heart due to the bereavement I suffered when I was a child, so I wanted to do something to raise some money for this amazing charity. I'm actually looking forward to the walk, although I've never walked anywhere near that amount of miles in one day! I must admit, I don't think I'll say no to a foot rub from my girlfriend and a cold beer when I arrive home!"
The trio are aiming to raise £1000 and are close to their target. Service Care Solutions have donated £150 towards the cause. If you would like to sponsor Kyle on this epic mission, please click here.
Kyle is currently recruiting in the Greater Manchester and Cheshire for roles such as Family Support Workers and Social Workers. If you are recruiting or looking for a job please contact ushere.
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