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Talk2Nish founder to walk from London to Brighton to raise money ​

 

20th August 2024 ​

 

A mother and her two daughters will be doing a four-day sponsored walk from London to Brighton at the end of August in aid of Talk2Nish Peer Mentors, a mental health peer mentors charity that she set up to honour her daughter Anisha who was killed by a hit and run driver in Brixton in 2020. 

 

Talk2Nish Peer Mentors aims to address the growing crisis in young people's mental health and involves training sixth-form students to be peer mentors who can listen to and help other students who might find it easier to talk to someone their own age about their problems. ​

 

The mentors are supervised by the school. It was set up earlier this year and has already trained two cohorts of peer mentors at Anisha’s secondary school, the Anglo-European School in Ingatestone, Essex. 

 

Covid has foregrounded mental health, but mental health problems have been increasing for many years, particularly among young people, with the World Health Organization saying that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Mind says that in 2018-19 24% of 17-year-olds reported having self-harmed in the previous year, and seven per cent reported having self-harmed with suicidal intent at some point in their lives. 16% reported high levels of psychological distress.

 

​Moreover, the number of A&E attendances by young people aged 18 or under with a recorded diagnosis of a psychiatric condition more than tripled between 2010 and 2018-19. Schools have often not had the resources to provide adequate services.

 

​Mandy Garner, founder of Talk2Nish Peer Mentors, will be walking with her two daughters, Maia and Leila, from Anisha's student accommodation in London Bridge to Brighton, one of her favourite places, starting on 30th August and finishing on 2nd September just before schools restart. The aim is to raise funds for the charity to expand its work to more schools.​

 

Mandy, who is editor of the website workingmums.co.uk, says: “Anisha was a hugely empathetic person, who listened to and encouraged her friends and family, but also, like many young people, needed support herself. Talk2Nish Peer Mentors knows the extent of the challenges facing young people, but also knows that they are already on the frontline of dealing with it - as friends. We want to empower, recognise and support them to really make a difference." 

 

*To donate to the sponsored walk go to - https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/talk2nishwalk

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