Helping boost Jordan’s fund is walk in the park
Still chance to join Wellmeadow event
There are just a few places left for community groups and businesses to take part in the Wellmeadow Walkathon – a 24hour community event hosted by Proactive Communities to raise money for Jordan’s Challenge.
Blairgowrie’s Susan Hart is walking or cycling five kilometres every day for six months from June 2 to December 2 in memory of her son Jordan, who died by suicide in November last year just days before his 17th birthday.
Along with her husband Gavin and daughter Bethany, the family is hoping to raise funds for a series of benches in the town.
The benches will be ‘happy to chat – happy to listen’ benches, providing a space where people can come together and talk, helping to reduce social isolation.
The Wellmeadow Walkathon, which takes place from 4pm on Saturday, July 31, to 4pm on Sunday, August 1, aims to support Susan, Gavin and Bethany in Jordan’s Challenge by raising funds as well as awareness of the stigma that often still surrounds mental health.
Representatives from local groups and clubs will take it in turns to walk around the town centre focal point for a one-hour slot.
Susan, Gavin and Bethany will start the Walkathon and it will be closed by members of the town’s ManTalk group.
Susan explained: “Social isolation affects so many people, particularly at the moment with the impact of the Covid restrictions and lockdowns on people’s mental health, and we wanted to do something to help the community as a whole.
“We want to raise enough funds to buy the materials for several benches and then hope to work with groups such as the Men’s Shed, Wisecraft and Blairgowrie High School to build them.
“The idea is that the benches help bring the community together, either while they are being fundraised for, built or when they are in place.
“A proportion of whatever we raise will also go towards The Lighthouse for Perth in support of their new outreach service at Blairgowrie High School.”
Susan added that they had been overwhelmed by the response to the Walkathon with the first 24 slots being snapped-up with hours of being announced.
A further 24 hour slots were released, and there are just a few remaining with local groups and businesses keen to take part being urged to sign-up before they are all gone.
Sam Stewart runs Proactive Communities’ volunteer group support efforts.
She said: “The impact on mental health of the Covid pandemic is really the pandemic within the pandemic and we hope that the Walkathon and the benches that Susan, Gavin and Bethany are fundraising for will go some way towards alleviating that.
“We have been really pleased with the response to the Walkathon, it has been just incredible.
“It really is an excellent way for the community to come together and show their support for what is such an important issue and one that affects so many of us.”
Those taking part are being encouraged to seek sponsorship for their efforts, which will then be put towards the Jordon’s Challenge bench fund.
Each team must walk in a minimum of two people but the booked slot can be divided up into shorter timeslots and split between participants if preferred.
Among the groups and businesses that have signed-up the Walkathon so far are Proactive Communities, Blair in Bloom, Blairgowrie Riding for the Disabled, the Co-op, the GLD Group, Blairgowrie Rainbows and Brownies, Blairgowrie Players, Something Special Flowers, The Angus Hotel and Spa, The A Proctor Group, Nest Creative Spaces, Kindrogan Somerville School, the Rotary Club of Blairgowrie, CraicN Communications, the Blairgowrie Advertiser, The Heat Project, First Aid Perthshire, Councillor Bob Brawn, BOOKMARK, Susie Black Fitness, Strathmore Screen, Strathmore Dance, Cut Above, Tesco, Caluteck, SCYD, the Air Cadets, Evolution Combat Sport, the Bank of Scotland, Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Club, and the Uniform Exchange.
Other local businesses such as The Dome, Number 31s and the Wee Coffee Shop will be providing refreshments throughout the 24 hours for those taking part.
Irvine’s the butchers is supplying bacon for breakfast rolls and Castle Water is supplying water bottles.
To book a slot, go online to www. discoverblairgowrie.com/blairgowrieand-rattray-events/wellmeadowwalkathon
To support Susan’s challenge, go to https://gofund.me/0491376d
• The Samaritans are available 24/7 to talk to anyone, whatever they are going through. Call free on 116 123.
• The Lighthouse for Perth can be contacted on 0800 121 4820 from 10am to 4pm, Mondays to Thursdays and from 8pm to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays