Running for the arts and mental health: 350 miles down, many more to go!
Katie, our Head of Marketing and Development at Artsadmin, tells us why she’s running Brighton Marathon to raise money for arts and mental health…
“When I entered the Brighton Marathon in November, I had no idea what I was getting myself in for. Heaving myself out of bed on dark mornings to run in snow, rain, wind and ice has been really difficult but it has given me time – and the 350 miles I’ve already run during training is a very long time – to seriously consider what I will be fundraising for.
The challenge of training for a marathon is as mental as it is physical but I’ve found that running has given me important time to reflect and de-stress, just as culture does. So I will be fundraising for charities that work in the arts and in mental health – both of which have suffered dramatic government funding cuts over the past decade:
- Artsadmin, the arts organisation I work for. They give free advice to 500 artists a year, take cultural projects into schools and prisons, and use the arts to inspire positive action around climate change, migration, disability, social issues and so much more.
- Samaritans, a charity that always listens and gives people a safe place to talk about whatever is getting to them. Their 20,000 volunteers respond to more than 5 million phone calls, letters, texts and emails a year.
With me running and you donating, together we can raise £1,000 (or hopefully more!) for these excellent causes, so please empty your pockets, piggy banks and penny jars and make a donation.
All donations to Artsadmin are doubled by Arts Council England until August 2019 so there’s no better time to give generously!”