More than £17,000 was raised through Miles for Mikeysline
A charity challenge has helped to raise much needed funds for a Scottish charity.
Hundreds of volunteers walked, ran, skipped and hopped an impressive 22,628 miles to raise a five-figure sum for Highland mental health charity, Mikeysline.
Over 200 participants took part in Miles for Mikeysline, raising more than £17,000 for the charity which supports adults and young people experiencing emotional distress and mental health issues.
The challenge was dreamt up as a replacement for the Inverness Half Marathon, which many volunteers had planned to run in support of the charity. Instead, Miles for Mikeysline allowed each participant to pledge a distance to cover over the course of a month, getting them outside and exercising while raising much-needed funds for the charity.
Emily Stokes, service manager at Mikeysline, said: “Exercise and connecting with nature have long been known to have a positive influence on our mental health and wellbeing, so we were delighted to see so many people taking up the Miles for Mikeysline challenge.
“When the Inverness Half Marathon was delayed due to lockdown, we knew many of our supporters were disappointed. Our mini fundraising team tasked two of our support workers, Clare and Emilie along with Darrel our fundraising volunteer, to come up with an alternative idea and they not only came up with the idea of Miles for Mikeysline, but brought it to life.
“It was a truly collaborative project, bringing together our Highland community in support of mental health services.
“As a charity we are heavily reliant on the donations and support of individuals and businesses across the Highlands to provide our services, so all the money raised will provide a welcome boost to our fundraising totals.”
The new funds will allow Mikeysline to continue to offer support from its out-of-hours drop-in centre in Inverness, The Hive, as well as expanding its reach across the wider Highlands. The charity also recently launched a new young people’s support service, providing support and guidance to secondary school aged pupils.
Since 2015, Mikeysline has offered confidential, non-judgemental support for those with mental health issues or in emotional distress in the Highlands from its Inverness headquarters, The Hive. Alongside face-to-face support, Mikeysline also offers live chat, Twitter and Messenger support – as well as a text line service at 07786 207755. The charity also now provides an additional support service for young people.
