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When people fundraise for a mental health charity, they are helping make support more accessible to someone who may feel alone, overwhelmed or unsure where to turn. For me, that cause is personal. I founded Anxious Minds after experiencing mental ill health, homelessness and the difficulty of finding timely, practical support. I wanted to help build the kind of compassionate, local service I had needed myself.

Today, Anxious Minds supports people across the North East through counselling, veteran and family support, outdoor therapy and community services. Fundraising helps us keep this work moving and reach people who need someone to listen. If you are looking for a reason to fundraise for a mental health charity, I want to share the journey behind Anxious Minds, explain why community support matters and offer a few ways you can take part.

My journey from military service to founding Anxious Minds

I served in the British Army for 22 years. Leaving the Armed Forces meant adjusting to a very different life, while also living with anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I found that early intervention and ongoing mental health support could be difficult to access. At a time when I needed help, I experienced how isolating it can feel to be struggling and not know where to turn.

My circumstances became severe, and I experienced homelessness. I am not sharing this to suggest that everyone’s experience is the same, or that a charity can solve every problem. I share it because it is part of the reason Anxious Minds exists. I knew that people should be able to ask for support without having to wait until they have reached breaking point, and that understanding and dignity matter as much as the service itself.

In 2015, I used my War Pension to establish Anxious Minds. It began with a simple purpose: to make mental health support easier to reach for people in our communities. I did not start with a large organisation or a complicated plan. I started from the belief that if people are given time, respect and practical support, they can begin to find a way forward.

That belief continues to guide the charity. Anxious Minds has grown over the years, but the reason for the work remains close to where it began: people need someone to listen, a safe way to ask for help and support that recognises them as individuals.

Why early and compassionate support matters

Mental health difficulties can affect people in many different circumstances. Someone may be coping with trauma, anxiety, depression, bereavement, abuse, addiction, financial pressure or a major change in life. A veteran may be adjusting to civilian life or managing the effects of service. A family member may be trying to support someone they love while carrying worries of their own.

There is no single story behind a request for help. People may need counselling, a peer group, practical advice, time outdoors or simply a place where they are welcomed and not judged. The right support depends on the person and what they are facing.

Anxious Minds works alongside community and health partners, providing local support for adults, young people aged 14 and over, veterans and families. The charity’s approach includes early intervention and longer-term support, so people can seek help at different points in their lives. Our aim is to meet people with care, listen to what matters to them and help them identify useful next steps.

How Anxious Minds has grown

From its beginnings in 2015, Anxious Minds has developed services shaped by what people in the region tell us they need. These include counselling, the Veteran Recovery College, women’s support, outdoor therapy and community-based wellbeing activity.

The Veteran Recovery College, established in 2020, supports veterans and their families through counselling, peer connection, recovery workshops, practical advice and activities. Its purpose is to give people space to build skills, confidence and connection while working towards their own goals. Family members are included because mental health challenges can affect the whole household.

Our work also reaches beyond counselling rooms. Outdoor activities can give people a chance to spend time in nature, learn new skills and connect with others. Community services can help reduce isolation and make support feel more approachable. Practical advice matters too: concerns about housing, benefits or daily life can add to distress, so helping someone navigate those issues can be part of a wider picture of wellbeing.

Anxious Minds continues to adapt as needs change. The charity supports adults and young people, veterans and families, women affected by abuse, and people facing difficult life circumstances. We want people to know that they can contact us, talk through what is happening and find out what support may be available.

Why fundraise for a mental health charity?

Fundraising helps charities meet the costs of delivering support. Behind every appointment, group or community activity are people’s time, safe spaces, equipment and the practical costs of keeping a service open. Fundraising can help sustain this work and contribute to the charity’s ability to respond to local need.

It also helps people hear about the support that exists. When someone shares a fundraising page or talks about why they chose Anxious Minds, a friend or colleague may discover the charity for the first time. They might pass the information on to somebody who needs it, or feel more able to start a conversation about their own mental health.

For me, fundraising is not only about reaching a target. It is a way for communities to stand beside people who are having a difficult time. A sponsored walk, a workplace coffee morning or a personal challenge can bring people together around a clear purpose: helping local mental health support remain within reach.

Mental health fundraising ideas you can take on

You do not need to be a professional fundraiser or an athlete to make a difference. The best activity is one that feels realistic for you and gives your supporters a simple way to get involved.

Take on the Support Mental Health Challenge

The Support Mental Health Challenge lets you choose an activity, set a goal and invite people to sponsor you. You could walk, run, cycle, swim, practise mindfulness, host a tea party or choose an idea of your own. It can be a solo challenge or something you do with friends, family, colleagues or a community group.

A clear goal helps people understand what you are doing. You might decide to walk a set distance over a month, organise a coffee morning or take on a daily wellbeing activity for a few weeks. Share why mental health support matters to you, but remember that you do not have to tell a personal story to take part.

To get started, visit Support Mental Health Challenge, sign up and share your fundraiser with the people around you.

Host a community event

A quiz night, bake sale, craft session, dinner or coffee morning can be a welcoming way to raise funds. Ask a local venue or business if they can help with a room, refreshments or a prize. Keep the plan manageable, tell people how to donate and thank everyone who supports the event.

A community gathering also makes space for conversation. You could share information about Anxious Minds and explain how local counselling, veteran support, outdoor therapy and wellbeing services help people connect with support.

Organise a workplace or group fundraiser

Workplaces, clubs and community groups can set a team challenge, hold a dress-down day, arrange a sponsored walk or run a staff wellbeing event. Some employers may offer matched giving, adding to the amount raised by staff. Ask your organisation whether this is available and what arrangements you need to follow.

Make your activity welcoming to people with different interests, abilities and schedules. People can help in many ways: taking part, arranging refreshments, sharing the fundraising page or offering practical support behind the scenes.

The Mental Health Lottery

Some supporters prefer to help in a different way. The Mental Health Lottery is a monthly lottery that supports Anxious Minds’ work. Its website explains how entries help fund mental health services and sets out the current entry details, prizes and terms.

The lottery is separate from a sponsored fundraiser: it is a paid entry into a prize draw, while a challenge or event raises money through people’s activity and sponsorship. Taking part in the lottery is optional and for eligible adults. Please read the Mental Health Lottery terms and only spend what you can afford.

Whether you organise an event, take on a challenge or choose to enter the lottery, you are helping draw attention to the need for accessible mental health support. Each option gives people a different way to take part.

How to make your fundraiser meaningful

Start with a simple plan. Choose what you want to do, set a date or timeframe and decide how people can donate. Then write a short explanation of why you are supporting Anxious Minds. Tell people that the charity works across the North East and describe its support accurately.

Use an official fundraising page or the charity’s recommended donation route. Share your link in personal messages and on social media, and post a few updates so supporters can follow your progress. Thank people who donate, help organise the event or share your message.

Keep your goal achievable. Your contribution is not measured only by the total raised. Every donation helps, and every conversation that makes it easier to ask for mental health support is valuable. If your plans need to change, adapt them. A smaller activity that you can complete is a success.

When explaining the impact, avoid promising that a particular donation will pay for a specific service unless the charity has confirmed that wording for your fundraiser. You can say that you are raising money to support Anxious Minds’ mental health work and local services.

A message from Anxious Minds’ founder

I founded Anxious Minds because I know how hard it can be to ask for help when you are struggling. My experiences shaped the charity, but its work belongs to everyone who has contributed to it: the staff, volunteers, trustees, partners, fundraisers and people who trust us with their stories.

I remain involved as a volunteer leader because I believe people deserve to be met with understanding and offered a way to move forward. Our services have grown, but we still rely on community support to help sustain the work and reach people across the North East.

If you choose to fundraise for a mental health charity, thank you. You can start with a walk, a coffee morning, a team challenge or another idea that suits you. Tell people why you are taking part and invite them to stand alongside you. Together, we can help make local mental health support easier to find and easier to access.

Take on the Support Mental Health Challenge: supportmentalhealth.co.uk
Learn about the Mental Health Lottery: mentalhealthlottery.co.uk
Read about Eddie and Anxious Minds: anxiousminds.co.uk/team/eddie-dean

Written and signed by Eddie Dean, Founder and Volunteer CEO, Anxious Minds (Registered Charity No. 1164040).