Fundraising climbers who scaled Mt Snowdon to help fund a vital lifeline for mental health support in Axminster reckon they will amass around £14,500.

As reported in the Herald last week, the 10 adventurers set about the expedition to raise funds for Arc, Axminster’s unique mental health charity that assists local residents in times of trauma, loss or life changing events.
The fundraiser was the brainchild of local businessman Laurence Norman.

One of the team, photographer Suzie McFadzean, said this week: "My latest guestimate is that the total will be around £14, 500. With a session costing £40 and allowing 10 sessions per person that means Arc can help nearly 40 members of our community!"

Meanwhile, Arc has launched a new mental wellbeing podcast. Dedicated to creating a safe space to have supportive conversations about mental health, weekly episodes will bring you interviews and conversations, top tips and thoughts about mental health from a variety of perspectives and local people. Debbie Frances, one of the hosts, said, “Our hope is to create content that raises awareness about mental health and encourages people to talk about it. Through the Covid lockdowns, many people have struggled with their mental health, so we thought it would be good provide a place where we can just talk about it. Sadly there is still stigma surrounding mental ill health, and we want to challenge that so that people find it easier to seek help when they need it”.
Arc, a charity which relies entirely on donations, fundraising and grants to offer free specialist counselling support to people registered at Axminster Medical Practice, is hoping that the podcast will provide tips and resources that people can use to look after their mental wellbeing, and create a more resilient community that is more understanding and supportive of mental ill health. Arc’s Chair, Shelagh Fearnley added, “ please join the conversation about mental health, bring your voice and opinions into a safe space and be heard, these podcasts are one more way in which we can strive to build a healthier community”.
A new episode will be released every Wednesday, and you can subscribe to the podcast in Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3gQfWIIXldkMtBRYsolNzJ or access it on arc’s website at www.arcaxminster.org, or via their social media. If you have ideas for future content or would like to be considered for an interview, please email Debbie at arcaxminster@gmail.com.