Emma Cox

I'm going to cut straight to the point:

1 in 5 young people in Ireland experience Mental Health distress.

Let that sink in for a minute. That is an extremely high figure and one which is not good enough. We should be doing more to help our young people and to ensure they have the right help that they need. Jigsaw is one of the many organisations that are helping young people in Ireland overcoming mental stress and it's a charity that's very close to my own heart. I believe passionately in their vision of an Ireland where every young person’s mental health is valued and supported. 

This year I'm going to be taking a massive leap in supporting young people and their mental health by taking part in the Croke Park Abseil in aid of Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, which takes place on Saturday 21st March 2020.

Why should you sponser me in particular for this cause? I'll tell you.

1. I hate heights. No I'm not joking. I can barely climb up a ladder without freaking out, so this will be a tough challenge for me. Even after I signed up for the abseil, I was asking myself "Why on earth did I just agree to this? I should have just done a bake sale or something", but this will be a good way for me to show my support for Jigsaw and doing something I am 100% not comfortable with.

2. A picture says a thousand words. Anyone who knows me or has worked with me, knows that my face is not great at hiding my emotions, so you can imagine the sheer hilarious photos that will emerge from this as a result of my hatred of heights and we can all laugh about it later. Maybe.

3. It's a fantastic cause. Realistically, in the long run, will you really miss €2, €5, €10 or €20? No. But that money will help Jigsaw to provide the funds and support they need to help the young people in Ireland who really need it.

Anything you can spare is welcome and I encourage all of you to share my page with friends, family, co-workers etc. and help me to raise much needed funds for this fantastic cause.