Here at Oxfordshire Mind, we are always keen to engage with fundraisers. Not only do fundraisers raise vital funds towards helping Oxfordshire Mind help even more people affected by mental health problems, fundraisers engage with the public and spread awareness of our key messages by starting conversations with people on the importance of mental wellbeing.
This year Oxfordshire National Citizen Service (NCS) have been raising awareness and funds for Oxfordshire Mind. The NCS program is run annually over the summer holidays and allows young people the opportunity to gain a plethora of skills through the adventure, skills and social action phases.
As part of the social action phase NCS Abingdon have worked closely with the Oxfordshire Mind South and Vale Hub to deliver a range of activities and outreach work in the local community.
Deputy Locality Manger for South and Vale, Cameron Turner, praised “the students from the National Citizen Service. They have organised a week of fundraising and activities with Oxfordshire Mind. Each day they have worked at various market stalls in Abingdon and Oxford selling cakes and accepting donations. They also organised a Tea Party auctioning donations for Oxfordshire Mind, and starting conversations around mental welbeing.”
Cameron has praised the positive attitude of the local NCS group saying, “all involved were proactive in arranging each day – down to the smallest detail, from getting permission to stocking and setting up the stalls in the various locations. Throughout each day they worked together with enthusiasm and passion supporting each other, showing a caring and joyful attitude; even when they were shunned many time by passers-by. I am so delighted that I have had the opportunity to help these young people and hope we can do so again in the future.”
Oxfordshire Mind CEO, Dan Knowles, has also praised the local NCS group for the “amazing contribution to fundraising and outreach work which they have done over the past week. Oxfordshire Mind recognises the significant deterioration in younger people’s mental health in the UK and having local NCS groups’ start a conversation on mental wellbeing is a step in the right direction. We are currently working with younger people, schools, parents and teachers to develop what we believe could be the best preventative programme in the country. The money raised will enable us to run pilot programmes in schools in Oxfordshire to prove the approach.”
In total the Abingdon NCS group raised over £1,000 for Oxfordshire Mind!
For fundraising enquirers you can view our resources online or email [email protected] for more information.