Gus's Stratford upon Avon Marathon

Hi, my name is Gus Reid and this April (21st) I will be running the Stratford upon Avon Marathon to raise money for two causes that are very important to me and that both relate to the subject of mental health and well being.

30% of all money raised will be going towards Esprimo's choir tour to France. Esprimo are a choral group that I have sung with for the past five years. Being able to make music with friends and put on concerts, albeit virtually, was a huge part of what helped get me through the pandemic. Since that point the group have worked tirelessly, alongside their various other jobs and degrees to put on over 15 concerts in 3 years. I'm running this marathon to raise funds as my way of saying thank you for all their hard work and dedication and for being such an important source of happiness and support for me.

The remaining 70% of all the funds raised will be going to Place2be. Place2be are a fantastic charity that provide essential mental health services in schools for young people. They work with students to help them better understand their own mental health, providing them with the opportunity to learn life-long coping skills to enable them to thrive, and, most importantly, they help them to find their voice when they are struggling and make sure that they are not alone. I've chosen Place2be as I believe that having the space to explore and communicate about your own mental health is SO important and is something that every young person should have access to.

I've also chosen Place2be because my Mum chose it. Over the last 2 years my Mum has been on a journey to understand more about her own well-being, having faced some of the most difficult challenges your own mental health can throw your way. She's chosen Place2be as, having taught early years children for many years, she feels it is vital that young people have the best chance to learn what she has learned and more. Your mental health is not something that you should ignore, and so having the tools to go hand-in-hand with it through life is something that every single person should have access to.