When: Our original date was April 2nd but Due to COVID19 we have a new date of 17th to 19th September 2020
Who: We, a group of friends, will start a run across Ireland from ‘the Cove’ in Greystones, Co. Wicklow to Galway Bay
Why: to raise money for worthy charities and raise awareness for mental health issues in Ireland.
The Beneficiaries: Crumlin Children’s Hospital and A Lust for Life Charity.

Whilst running from the Irish Sea to the Atlantic may sound like a superhuman effort, in fact the magnitude is in recognition of the challenges faced every day by those dealing with mental health issues and the effects of childhood illness in our community. Based upon the philosophy of taking things ‘one step at a time’ we will break down the 240km run into 3 days of ‘manageable’ chunks of about 80km/day. The entire route will be run, but each participant can choose their own challenge on a daily basis, i.e. 5km, 10km or even 80km! We hope to be joined on all or any of the days and at any stage by individuals/groups to run/walk/cycle for all or a part of the way.

The aim of the run is to raise funds to support the ‘Its Not the End of the World’ project being undertaken by A Lust for Life and for a range of support therapies offered to children facing serious illness by Crumlin Childrens Hospital.

‘Its Not the End of the World’ – A Lust for Life is an award winning Irish wellbeing movement created to transform how we talk about and treat mental health. They use multi-media content, campaigns and events to empower, equip and facilitate children and young people to mind their own mental health and wellbeing. ‘Its Not the End of the World’ is a series to help secondary school exam students with their mental health in the lead up to Junior and Leaving Cert exams. The objective is to create a peer-to-peer conversation around exams being ‘not the end of the world’ by sharing personal experiences and helpful expert advice.

Childhood illness in all its forms is persistent, indiscriminate and often devastating. As many of the children that pass through the doors of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin (CHI Crumlin) have rare and complex conditions that are life-limiting or life-threatening, we know all too well that the burden of disease can have a significant impact on a child and their family. When a child is up against a chronic illness or disease, it’s not a fair fight. It will take their smiles, their innocence, their health, their precious family moments, their fun and sometimes, even their young lives.CMRF Crumlin are dedicated to supporting these children right across their patient journey, by providing the wraparound and holistic supports which create brighter days for sick children. As a part of this they offer these children complementary therapies, including Music Therapy that helps sick children reach their social, emotional, cognitive and physical goalsand Adolescent Play Services for Children with Cancer. These therapies are dedicated to improving the patient experience for those children who will battle acute illness from their first breath, this Holistic Therapy Programme is committed to offering these children a moment of respite in their long battle with ill-health.

We are just a bunch of regular people, some of us parents, with children from toddlers to teenagers. The Greystones to Galway run is our effort to help these worthy charities, which have and will help us and our families. 100% of funds raised go to the charities to fund their amazing initiatives. Please give what you can. For more information and maps of the route check out our Instagram page (@Mindfulwest_run) or email [email protected]