Join The 2.6 Challenge

Join The 2.6 Challenge to help to save the UK’s charities

We hope you’re well during this unprecedented time. We’re inviting you, your family and friends to take part in The 2.6 Challenge from Sunday 26 April to help to save the UK’s charities.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on charities, with the cancellation of thousands of events and the loss of billions in fundraising income.

In response, the organisers of the biggest mass-participation sports events across the country have come together to create a new campaign to raise vital funds to help to save the UK’s charities.

The 2.6 Challenge will launch on Sunday 26 April – what should have been the date of the 40th London Marathon, the world’s biggest one-day annual fundraising event.

We’re asking you to take part in an activity of your choice based around the numbers 2.6 or 26 and fundraise or donate to support Rochdale and District Mind via twopointsixchallenge.co.uk (Please search for Rochdale and District Mind when donating).

The ideas and options are endless!

People of all ages are taking on The 2.6 Challenge with a host of activities – from walking, running or cycling 2.6 miles, juggling for 2.6 minutes, to holding online workouts with 26 friends. The ideas and options are endless!

The only requirement is that you must follow Government guidelines on exercise and social distancing. Most people are taking part from Sunday 26 April but you can do your activity whenever is most convenient for you.

There are just five simple steps to take:

1. Dream up your 2.6 challenge – if you need help there are lots of ideas here
2. Head to twopointsixchallenge.co.uk to donate £26 – or whatever you can afford ­– to Rochdale and District Mind or to set up a fundraising page
3. Ask all your friends and family to sponsor you and challenge them to do their own 2.6 Challenge
4. Complete your challenge
5. Share a photo or video of your challenge on social media with #TwoPointSixChallenge

For further information on The 2.6 Challenge, including a list of partners and supporters, and for more ideas about what your activity could be, visit twopointsixchallenge.co.uk

We hope you’ll join the nation in The 2.6 Challenge to support Rochdale and District Mind and help to save the UK’s charities.

Author: Paula Hall
Posted on: 24th April 2020

Jeanette’s Sponsored Head Shave!

Jeanette plans to shave her head on the last day of April to raise funds for Rochdale and District Mind.

Jeanette Toombs has always gone the extra mile in her role as Wellbeing Coordinator here at Rochdale and District Mind and she is proving that now is no different. She’s continuing to deliver the much-valued support to our service users while she works from home during the lockdown.

While carrying out her role, she has heard first-hand how the Coronavirus pandemic is impacting on the mental health of the communities of Rochdale, Middleton and Heywood and felt that she wanted to do something to help. Then she had an idea… she could shave her head to raise funds for Rochdale and District Mind!

“My hair’s growing and it’s getting too long, I can’t visit my hairdresser so I came up with the idea of shaving my head to raise money for Rochdale Mind! I’ve worked here for 20 years and it’s truly a fantastic place, it’s a very difficult time for everyone and I wanted to do my bit to help us be there for people who need our support.”

Jeanette continues,

“While we have been reaching out to our service users during the lockdown we have heard clients struggling with the impact on their mental health. Their anxiety levels have increased significantly due to the enforced isolation and they are missing the safe space and peer support that we provide at Rochdale Mind.”

Jeanette’s husband, Gary, who volunteers here at Rochdale and District Mind will be doing the honours with the clippers set to number 2 and will be filming it to share with everyone to watch on Thursday 30th April 2020.

Supporting our community during the Coronavirus pandemic

We have moved our face to face services to telephone, email, messaging and Zoom. Our Wellbeing Coordinators have reached out to all 652 of our current service users, to check in on them and see what help they need through this difficult time. We have adapted our group support to help reduce the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Our Men’s and Women’s Support Groups, Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Groups, Social Cafes, Living Life to the Full Courses and Yoga Classes are being delivered via telephone, messaging and Zoom. We are creating podcasts for our Relaxation Classes and our Creative Writing Groups are continuing with their creativity by emailing their words each week.

Since adapting our services in this way, we have received positive feedback from our service users who live across the Rochdale Borough.

Thank you for contacting us during these difficult times and offering us support. Knowing that support is still available is reassuring and greatly appreciated, whilst keeping us connected. 

– Service user

Thank you for taking time to speak to me it really helped. Although I am self-isolating due to the Coronavirus knowing I can still access Rochdale Mind via phone is a massive help!

– Service user

Your text message asking how I was doing made me cry. I have not spoken to anyone all week.

– Service user

Support Jeanette by texting to donate

Hearing this feedback really spurred Jeanette on and it confirmed for her that she is doing this for such a worthy cause. To help raise money for Rochdale and District Mind, Jeanette is asking people to text SHAVE 3 to 70460 to donate £3 or text SHAVE 10 to 70460 to donate £10.

Jeanette also has a JustGiving page please click to donate JustGiving

We’re grateful for all donations and they will make a big difference to Rochdale and District Mind – thank you.

Texts cost £3 or £10 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you’d like to give £3 or £10 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text SHAVENOINFO 3 to 70460.

Update… she did it!

Jeanette’s colleagues got together on Zoom to watch Gary set the clippers to Jeanette’s hair.

So far she’s raised an amazing £296 plus £63 gift aid! Well done Jeanette!  

Jeanette would like to thank everyone for their generosity and support:

“I would like to say a big  thank you to  everyone that has donated  to my head shave on 30th April 2020, I would also say a massive thank you to Clive and his colleagues at NatWest bank for donating.”

• Jeanette Toombs

You can watch the video of her head shave here:

Author: Paula Hall
Posted on: 24th April 2020