Ruby and Claire's South Downs Way Challenge

Thanks for visiting our Local giving page. This summer, we have decided to walk the whole of the South Downs Way from Winchester to Eastbourne (100 miles in total, although it may end up being slightly longer as we’ll undoubtedly seek out some cafes along the way to replenish energy levels!) We plan to complete the walk over 4 days, averaging roughly 25 miles per day, from 2nd August – 5th August. Our charity of choice is The Blurt Foundation, which aims to increase awareness and understanding of depression. We knew we wanted to raise money for a mental health organisation and were recently made aware of the Blurt Foundation by a friend. Hence, we decided that the walk would be a suitable fundraiser. All money contributed will go directly to Blurt as we are covering all our own expenses. It will help them to continue their vital work. The organisation strives to raise awareness and decrease the stigma surrounding depression, through blogs and online resources. One of our favourite aspects of Blurt is that they offer “BuddyBoxes”, available to order online, which are essentially self-care packages, containing things like socks, tea, candles, essential oils, face masks and hand warmers. These things sound small and insignificant, but self-care is something that depression makes 100 times harder yet is also crucial to feeling good about yourself, so to have treats like these arrive in the post can give someone who is suffering a real boost. Mental health, and specifically depression, is something that we feel passionate about. Depression is incredibly debilitating; it seeps into every aspect of your life, be it work/school, socialising or hobbies. It consumes your entire identity, leaving you feeling small and worthless. It is time mental health is put on a par with physical health. It’s time to stop the stigma. With your support, we can help Blurt to help others, and to change the way society views depression. Love, Ruby and Claire xx