FINANCIAL ADVISER RAISES MORE THAN £800 FOR CHARITY BY WALKING FROM STONEHENGE TO AVEBURY

Financial adviser Dave Southby is nursing blisters and sore knees after walking 27 miles to raise money for Swindon & Gloucestershire Mind – yet his endurance has raised more than £870.

The walk was one of several events Dave, who lives in Wroughton, has lined up this year after he pledged to raise £1,500 for the charity to thank them for supporting a close friend. 

In doing so, Dave literally went the extra mile alongside his friend Martin Baker.

“After 58,000 steps, in the company of my friend Martin, I’m thrilled and humbled by the support I received. The first half of the walk was fine. I got blisters about half way so I was hobbling and then about nine miles out my knee jarred and I was in agony!  My feet are still shot and I’m still hobbling around but it was worth every mile,” he said.

The 30-year-old, has pledged to raise at least £1,500 during 2023 to support the charity. To do so he is undertaking several activities throughout the year, as well as donating a percentage of any profit he makes. 

“I am extremely pleased to have got more than half way to my target so far, with a couple of pledges still to come in. A huge thank you to everyone who has donated.”

His next fundraising event will be a charity golf day, which is due to be held in June.

“I’ve chosen this charity because I feel it does great work in my community and over the border in Gloucestershire to help people who are struggling with their mental health,” he said. “This work can often go unnoticed yet it’s critical to support people to get back on their feet. The team has supported a close friend of mine over the last year or so and I feel it’s important to give back in some way as a ‘thank you’.”

Fundraising is vital for charities like Swindon & Gloucestershire Mind, because:

• At least one in four people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year, with one in six people reporting a common mental health problem such as anxiety and depression in any given week. 
• Locally, at least 12% (approximately, 27,600 people) of the population in Swindon and 11% (approximately, 70,000) of the population in Gloucestershire experience a common mental health problem.
• For one member of staff to answer calls on the charity’s Mind Line service costs £140 per day, and for seven days per week, it costs £348,251 per year to keep the lines manned. 
• To fund the charity’s Wellbeing Day services, Monday to Friday, and providing face-to-face and group support in the community costs £967.08 per day.

Dave is a partner with St James’ Place and helps individuals, families and small business owners to manage their wealth effectively. He specialises in working with people who live in Swindon and North Wiltshire. To find out more about him visit https://davesouthbyfp.co.uk/