Kendal man takes on Hadrian's Wall to fund wellness centre

Mark Watson is one of the minds behind @Peace-Kendal CIC along with fellow directors Danielle Hannam and Gary Pettit.

In April, Mark will be aiming to complete the Hadrian's Wall route to financially support their plans to build a centre for people struggling with their mental health.

He said: "I was diagnosed with PTSD in 1989 and eventually received help in 2015 - on numerous occasions prior to my therapy, I have self-harmed and attempted to take my own life.

"I am fully aware of how everyday life can significantly impact the mental wellbeing of people and it is extremely difficult to accept this and look for help."

Mark believes that the country is facing a mental health crisis and that the NHS needs support in dealing with cases.

"I have acquaintances who have been waiting for over 18 months to receive treatment - what do they do while they wait?," he said.

"We aim to open a centre that will offer people a place to visit where support is on hand - whether it is for a coffee and chat in our café or whether you require one of our treatments, we will look to help."

The centre would offer services such as counselling from registered counsellors, massage therapy, and access to flotation tanks, which provide relaxation and are therapeutic to pain and ailments.

Mark explained: "While these services are available in other areas they are quite expensive and not always affordable to some.

"We aim to provide funded treatments with only a small contribution to the treatment required."

The plans have already been backed by Tim Farron, the MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale.

Mr Farron said: "Unfortunately, in my role as MP, I have become acutely aware of the need for more mental health and well-being support in Kendal and the surrounding communities.

"While our current local support services have been brilliant, demand has been growing and there is a need to grow support capacity."

You can find a link to Mark's and @Peace's JustGiving page here.