Andrew embarks on latest challenge to support mental health trust
Mental health expert by experience Andrew Colley is embarking on another fundraising walking challenge to help improve experiences for service users.
On Thursday (May 1), he is setting off to walk 200kms along the Camino de Santiago (Camino de Vezelay) from Mont de Marsan in France, over the Pyrenees, and into Spain to raise more money towards an art project for Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
In 2021 and 2022, Andrew, who lives in the Haverhill area, completed a walk around the coast of East Anglia to raise money for an art project in collaboration with the fine art department of the University of Suffolk.
He said: With the money raised, original artworks were installed on Poppy and Lark wards at Woodland in Ipswich, the third ward, in Wedgwood House, Bury St Edmunds, now needs to raise just a little bit more money to complete its project.
My aim is to top up the funds I raised already so that Southgate and Northgate wards at Wedgwood can move forward with their own project to install some art works there.
Andrew has been supporting the trust in a number of ways as an expert by experience since he was cared for by NSFT when he was very unwell in 2020. I was aware of the need to enhance the ward environments, and this led me to undertake these long-distance walking challenges in order to raise money for art works to be installed.
The ward environment can seem bland and intimidating, particularly for people on their first admission. I hope that by bringing some art and colour to the wards service users may feel more welcome and will perhaps settle in more easily.
Andrew estimates that this latest walk will take about 10 days. Although the first few days will be relatively flat, crossing the Pyrenees will be very steep and challenging and may take a number of days. I hope at least to make it over the border into Spain and hopefully as far as the historic city of Pamplona, he said.
Andrew and his son, Sam, are advocates of walking for mental health and set up West Suffolk Walks (www.westsuffolkwalks.co.uk) to encourage others to see the benefits for themselves. He is a qualified wellbeing walks leader, working with Feelgood Suffolk Wellbeing Walks and the Suffolk Walking Festival.
Rebecca Blackstone, now locality governance lead for Central Norfolk, was part of the project team. She said: Andrew has done so much for NSFT in terms of undertaking sponsored activities to raise money for wards as well as being instrumental in shaping our approach to assurance as part of the Evidence Assurance Group and Single Assessment Framework. It's amazing to now see him take on another epic challenge in support of Wedgwood. Huge thanks to Andrew for all that he continues to do to improve service user experience.
Chief patient experience officer and deputy CEO Cath Byford wished Andrew luck with his latest venture. Andrew is a big supporter of NSFT with his fundraising and we really appreciate his efforts to help us improve care for service users.
Andrew has a Just Giving page which will send donations straight to NSFT's charitable fund to be used for the art project. It automatically reclaims Gift Aid.
Andrew Colley at the end of East Anglian Coast Walk 2023.zip [zip] 445KB