Alex Marples is fundraising for
Campaign Against Living Miserably
Charity No. 1110621
£2,247
+ estimated £486
Started on 14th November 2022
Shoreham-by-Sea, UK
Updates 8
Alex Marples
posted an update on
1st October 2023
We did it!!
That's a wrap folks. 2023 miles in 2023 for the amazing people at CALM and in memory of our dear old buddy Matt. Thanks so much to everyone for your support and incredibly kind donations. £8 pays for a potentially life saving call, and you've helped fund a few of those!
Thanks to those who've joined me along the way; I've made new friends, caught up with old ones, run in some of the most epic places, even had a beer with one of the funniest guys on the tele.
Here's hoping that together we've made some tiny dent in this most destructive of diseases.
This year was also about Matt, so I'll sign off with a tip of the hat to him. This one's for you Bule.
Big hugs, thanks again, love to you all xxxx
Alex Marples
posted an update on
17th September 2023
Home Stretch
Hi All,
We're nearing the end of September, and the 2023 mile (and £) finish line is in sight. With 250 miles to go, I'm aiming to get things done by the end of September. Last week I started running a half each day - 5 in a row so far, and I plan to do the same each day till the end of the month.
Thanks again for your support. It means a lot to me, and to the thousands of people who rely on CALM's help each day.
Stay safe. Look out for each other. Big hugs,
Al
xxx
Alex Marples
posted an update on
28th May 2023
Whoa, we're half-way there....
A beautiful morning to go past the half way mark. 1011.5 miles completed in just under 5 months, about a month ahead of plan. Surely it's all down hill from here?
A huge thank you for the continued support. Thanks to your generosity and kindness, we're now not far from hitting the £2023 target. And that will help CALM fund over 250 conversations with people when they need it most.
A special shout out this time to the Dorset walkers for drumming up a surge of support earlier in the month.
You're all brill. Thank you.
Al xxx
#2023in2023 #UnitedAgainstSuicide #thisonesforbule
Alex Marples
posted an update on
12th March 2023
I'm gonna be (500 miles)!!!
...I was humming that on the way round today.
Big milestone during this morning's run with the 500th mile clocked up. In fact, we've covered 506 miles, so a 1/4 of the distance after 10 weeks of early starts!
The £1600 raised so far will cover the cost of 200 phone calls to CALM. Some will be for advice, some for company and some could save a life.
So thank you, thank you, thank you; for all your generosity and support and kind words.
Love and hugs xxx
Alex Marples
posted an update on
19th January 2023
Week 3 Proper
A huge thank you to everyone that's supported so far. Well into the first month and we're ahead of plan as things stand. 2/3rds of the way towards the funding target and the mileage is already stacking up nicely (3 HMs in the past three days in this beautiful weather has helped).
And remember it's all about signposting the CalmZone for anyone that might need it. Share it in your socials, messages and email signatures!!
Thanks again. Look after each other.
Love, Al xxx
#2023in2023 #UnitedAgainstSuicide #thisonesforbule
Alex Marples
posted an update on
8th December 2022
Week 4 of the warm-up
Week 4 of the warm-up and it's going well. It's COOLLLLLLDD out there, but feeling good and I've managed to average just over 40 miles a week since starting. I need to get that to about 45 to give myself a bit of wiggle room for any time out during the year. We've got this!
Thanks so much to everyone for your donations - we're already up over £1400 including the GiftAid. I've been blown away by your kindness!
Don't forget to spread the word about the CALM zone for help and support for anyone that needs it.
Cheers!
Alex Marples
posted an update on
22nd November 2022
Training update - week 2
Week 2 and we're steadily building up the mileage for the start of next year. All going well so far. Thanks so much for your generous support, we'll soon be past £1k and only really a few days in.
You're all legends. Amazing! ????????
If you haven't already, please make sure you share the link to CALM's support page on your socials, you never know when someone might need it ???? CALM Support
Take care of yourselves and each other. Catch up soon. ❤️
#2023in2023 #UnitedAgainstSuicide #thisonesforbule
Alex Marples
posted an update on
17th November 2022
Training update - thank you for supporting!!
#2023in2023 #UnitedAgainstSuicide #thisonesforbule
The Short Story...
I'm raising money for men's suicide awareness during the cost-of-living crisis, by running 2023 miles in 2023. Proceeds go to CALM, registered charity number 1110621.
The Longer One, starting with Matt...
In December 2019 my friend Matt felt he'd had enough and didn't want to carry on.
Matt was a good guy; fun, cheeky, caring, mischievous, and sensitive. He struggled for a long time with issues relating to gambling, alcohol and money. He had an addictive personality, rarely engaging in half measures; you drink to get drunk, bet to win big or lose the lot. That was just Matt being Matt.
Until it wasn't.
Looking back from time to time, asking if I should have done more to help, the only answer I ever reach to this periodic torture is an unhesitating yes.
Current Turmoil
Approaching the 3rd anniversary of Matt's death, we're also heading towards one of the darkest economic and social periods many of us can remember. Taken together, I'd been thinking about the effect of this turmoil on people's wellbeing.
The 2008 recession was associated with increased suicide. In England, middle-aged men were found to be most at risk.
UK research during the Covid-19 pandemic found that 44% of adults with mental health problems who fell behind on bills either considered or attempted suicide.
Today's cost of living crisis will be taking a similar toll.
Standing Together, United Against Suicide
The time for helping Matt has passed. But at a time of deep instability and mounting cost of living pressure, there are many more men like him who we must help.
CALM do a great job of building awareness and providing practical support for these guys. In their words "...by provoking conversation, running life-saving services, and bringing people together so they reject living miserably, get help when they need it and don’t die by suicide."
Like many other third sector organisations they are facing big pressure on cost and revenue. It's important they remain fully supported at a time when their services will be needed more than ever.
Keep CALM and Carry On...Running
Running is important to me, and it's a big part of my strategy for coping with life's challenges. I figured that if I was going to do something in Matt's memory, why not make it something I love? Question now will be how far that love will stretch having done it for over 5.5 miles, every single day of 2023?
My challenge in 2023 will be to run a mile for every year of the common era; 2023 miles, or just under 39 miles a week. In doing so, I'll aim to raise £2,023 for CALM, to highlight the issue of male suicide during the cost of living crisis, and to honour the memory of a great buddy.
Many people are feeling the squeeze right now, so if you can't spare the cash, no worries. Maybe you could give us a like, a share, and pop this link on your social media showing people what to do if they need help? Thanks!
#2023in2023 #UnitedAgainstSuicide #thisonesforbule
Activity
Please be aware that after 27th June 2023, you will no longer be able to use Nectar points as a way to donate to this project