Each January, West Sussex Mind encourages people to be active every day and get the new year off to a great start. Be Active is one of the five ways to well-being, and the benefit of exercise for positive mental health has been seen more and more over the course of the pandemic.
For 2021 the challenge was to walk, run, cycle or swim A Mile a Day for West Sussex Mind – no mean feat when the wind sent the rain flying in horizontal sheets on several occasions. There was no registration fee, but anyone who raised over £15 for the campaign became the proud recipient of a West Sussex Mind supporter’s T-shirt.
Participants included a family who have been shielding since March 2020, a woman determined to spend Lockdown 3 seeing off the weight she accumulated during Lockdowns 1 and 2, a couple looking for the motivation to get outside every day – and several others who completed previous challenges.
This year, a private Facebook group was created so Milers could record their daily progress – and cheer each other on when the weather was less than inviting.
Despite being more low-key than previous challenges, 2021 turned out to be a vintage year for both participation and fundraising. Community Fundraising Lead Sarah Palmer put the success down to people being more focused on their mental health and well-being since the pandemic began.
