Shifties’ non-stop positivity raises £4,600 for CPSL Mind
Local entrepreneur and co-founder of the Shifties networking group, Alex Hughes, has shared his delight with the recent Shifties Speak Up event, a 24-hour non-stop fundraiser for charity CPSL Mind.
The event drew 20,000 viewers on the day known as Blue Monday, officially the most depressing day of the year, on January 18.
So far more than £4,600 has been raised for CPSL Mind, a county-wide mental health charity promoting positive wellbeing choices with support from encouraging peers and community connectivity.
Alex talked for 24 hours non-stop with small business owners, mental health experts, advisors, and the local business community, whilst completing challenges, sharing stories and giving advice on how to shift to a positive mindset in 2021. The liveathon hosted 35 different speakers.
Alex said: “The event exceeded every expectation I had for it. I’ve been completely blown away both by the openness of our incredible line speakers and the support from the Shifties community, many of whom stuck with me throughout the 24 hours. It is clear from all the comments and engagement we got that this discussion has really resonated with many and I hope it has encouraged more people to speak up and seek help. We will continue our fundraising drive for the rest of the month to help as many people as possible receive the support they need.”
The Speak Up Liveathon focused on tales of resilience and survival in an effort “to be the antidote to negative thinking on what is expected to be a particularly difficult time this year with many people still struggling with the impact of an extraordinary and incredibly challenging 2020”. The target for the CPSL Mind fundraising campaign is £10,000.
Aly Anderson, CEO of CPSL Mind, said: “I was delighted to be involved in the Shifties Speak Up event. It provided a fantastic platform for positivity and resilience during challenging times, creating opportunities to give to others by sharing stories, experiences and wellbeing tips. The Covid-19 experience has been an emotional rollercoaster but sharing your feelings during such times really helps. We are extremely grateful to Shifties for creating the opportunity to help raise funds for our charity, to support a range of services across our communities, including out of hours mental health crisis support, community wellbeing activities, peer support, campaigns and training.”
Zoe Doherty, fundraising consultant at CPSL Mind, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Alex, Christine and the entire Shifties community for their fantastic fundraising support. It was so inspiring to listen to everyone sharing their stories of resilience and how they look after their mental health – what a great way to keep everyone connected, especially during these difficult times. A huge thank you to everyone who was involved.”
The campaign will close on February 4 when Aly Anderson, CEO of CPSL Mind will join Alex online from 2pm to 4pm to draw the prizes, along with pop-up guests from the day sharing what it meant to them.
Until then, further donations can be made here. There’s some great prizes to be won, all donated by the Shifties community.
