Rachel runs every day for APP! She's aiming to cover 90 miles in total - a number that's important to her as it's 45 miles each way from her home to Winchester Mother and Baby Unit (MBU). This time six years ago, Rachel was admitted to Winchester MBU with PP when her baby was less than a week old. A 90 mile round trip is a long way but many women have to travel even further in order to be treated at an MBU where they can be with their baby. Rachel says 'Today I had a good running cry to myself thinking that 45 miles is nothing compared to the distance some women have to travel to get the chance of being treated and supported in a safe place with their baby. In a place that’s right for them - a Mother and Baby Unit.' Rachel is fitting in her runs around work and children and knows it won't be easy but is inviting anyone local to join her on her routes if they want to. She's already smashed her fundraising target and is still out running every day, whatever the weather. We're all really proud of you Rachel! Read more about Rachel's story and add your support for her January Miles for Mums and Babies Challenge here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Rachel-Evans4545 If you fancy taking on your own Miles for Mums and Babies Challenge, find out more here, or contact fundraising@app-network.org There are so many ways you can challenge yourself for APP in 2023 – from skydives and bungee jumps to inflatable obstacle fun runs, marathons, duathlons, ultras, cycle rides and so much more! You could get a group of friends, family or colleagues together and complete an event as a team, or go solo and take on a personal challenge. We now have access to hundreds of races, fun runs, jumps, rides and other events all over the country (and even overseas if you fancy it!) Here’s a few ideas to get you thinking… Sarah, who completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon for APP last October said "I wanted the challenge of getting fitter, losing a bit of weight and regular running for good mental health. What better way to achieve this than the challenge of a half marathon to raise money for APP, a charity very close to my heart. Two birds with one stone!" Fancy a full length marathon? We have access to places in loads of marathons including Barcelona, Brighton, Paris, Newport, Goodwood Motor Circuit, Manchester, Amsterdam, Leeds, Edinburgh, Chester and Yorkshire. Debbie ran the London Marathon for APP in 2022 and had this to say about it: "The marathon was an amazing experience, one which is hard to describe due to all the highlights – from the support from family and friends, the other runners and the huge crowds shouting everyone's name to the feeling of achievement and thankfulness that it was over It was fab to see APP in the crowds supporting my fundraising and to meet Fliss afterwards with another medal. If you doubt your abilities to be able to take part in a challenge – just do it – you can do amazing things." Cycling more your thing? La Grande Aventure Cycle - 14th June ‐ 18th June - Amsterdam to Lille - Cycle for 4 days, across 3 countries, covering 225 miles, for 1 great cause. Alice (pictured above) took on a massive challenge for APP in 2022 - she says: “Last year I completed five triathlons in support of APP, finishing with an Olympic distance at the London Tri. The experience of the support and hugging my daughter at the end and being reminded how far I’ve come in recovery was incredible.” Something different? Skydive - Katie, who completed a skydive for us last year said: 'It was absolutely amazing and you must do it once in a lifetime!' Family Friendly? These are just a few of the hundreds of races and activities we have access to – or of course you can come up with your own challenge as part of our Miles for Mums and Babies campaign. Registration fees and fundraising targets vary depending on the event, so let us know if you’re interested in any of these and we’ll give you the full details. Got an idea already, ready to sign up, or want us to inspire you? Contact fundraising@app-network.org – we’re here to support you through your training and to help you reach your fundraising goals. Lee embarks on year-long challenge to raise awareness of PP Sadly, almost exactly two years ago, Lee’s wife, Jess, developed postpartum psychosis and was admitted under section to Morpeth’s Mother and Baby Unit in Northumberland. Two years on, now fully recovered and a happy and healthy family of four, Lee and Jess are doing all they can to raise awareness and much-needed funds - and for Lee this means taking on twelve difficult challenges starting on Sunday 11 December. Read Lee’s story below. A link to his Just Giving page can also be found at the bottom of the article. Sarah's Miles for Mums and Babies Walk Sarah will be walking 305km over the next few months – which is a particularly impressive challenge when you find out that Sarah is a midwife, mum of a 1 year old and is trying to fit these kilometres in before her second baby is born! Here Sarah explains why she chose 305km for this challenge and why APP is such an important cause for her: ‘305. Does that sound a lot? I suppose if you're talking about elephants it's a fair number, but if you're talking about grains of sand, it's hardly anything at all. 305 is the number of days I received support from the fantastic perinatal mental health team. This included a stay on the Beadnell Ward Mother and Baby psychiatric unit, outpatient care from the community mental health nurses and support from Action on Postpartum Psychosis. Knowing I wasn't alone during this time was so important and the comforting words of people who had been where I'd been was priceless, both in person and online. The recurrence rate of severe perinatal mental health problems is conservatively estimated at 50%, so the decision to have more children wasn't an easy one. Knowing that HALF of the women who have had similar experiences to me go through it all again and that I am just as likely as not to end up in the same situation again is terrifying. If it wasn't for the knowledge that I'll be so well supported, Arthur might have been an only child. Come what may, I know that my Hillcrest/Northumbria colleagues, perinatal mental health team and support groups will be there to offer both peer and professional support. For this reason I have decided to fundraise for Action on Postpartum Psychosis. The presence of their volunteers on Beadnell Ward and the brilliant resources they provide are invaluable and I'd love to help. However, as I'm not much of an athlete I'm going to be walking instead of running! My aim is to walk 1 kilometre for every day that I received care by the time the new baby arrives, so 305km in the next few months I really hope that some of you can spare a few pennies so help APP continue their fantastic work and supporting families like mine to get through the most difficult period of their lives.’ Thank you so much Sarah for supporting APP and we’re wishing you all the best for your challenge, and with your new baby. If you'd like to add your support to Sarah's Miles for Mums and Babies efforts, you can find her fundraising page here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sarah-honeywood Clover MBU take on the #MilesforMumsandBabies challenge! A mighty team of staff, mums and dads at the MBU are aiming to run, walk and push buggies 428 miles during November. 428 miles represents the trip that one of their mothers and her family had to make between her home and Winchester MBU to receive care. The team has been out in all weathers clocking up the miles and they've already raised nearly £700. You can follow their updates on instagram at @clovermbu_winchester and add your support here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/winchester-mother-and-baby-unit Ways to support APP this festive season There's lots of ways you can show your support for APP this festive season: Thank you so much for your support. APP selected to receive a share of CharityJob's annual giving We're delighted to announce that APP has been selected as one of the recipients of CharityJob's annual charitable giving initiative. More than 700 charities applied for a share of the £100,000 made available by CharityJob, and only seven were chosen, with APP being awarded £15,000. The donation will go towards supporting mothers and families affected by postpartum psychosis through our peer support projects; our work around awareness raising and combatting stigma; and through developing and disseminating high quality, reliable information and training on PP for families and healthcare professionals. Dr Jess Heron, APP's CEO said: 'This donation will make a real difference to the lives of mums affected by PP and their families. We know our peer support work changes and saves lives, with around a third of respondents to our recent survey saying they may not be alive if they hadn't found APP. It can be difficult to find funding for projects supporting severe maternal mental health illness, so we're very grateful to CharityJob for choosing APP for this award.' We know times are tough for many at the moment with bills going up and the cost of living increasing. We are very grateful to all our supporters for continuing to think of APP and donating to help us continue to support mums and families affected by postpartum psychosis. We understand that not everyone may be in a position to donate right now, so we've come up with a list of ways to support APP that won't cost you a single penny. Please get involved if you can. Thank you for all your support for APP – we couldn’t do the work we do with mums and families without you. Gift Aid Awareness Day #TickTheBox 6th October is Gift Aid Awareness Day What is Gift Aid? A £10 donation processed with Gift Aid becomes a £12.50 donation. What do donors need to do? Who qualifies to donate through Gift Aid? Higher rate tax payers Example for higher rate tax payer For more on Gift Aid visit cfg.org.uk/tickthebox If you'd like any more info, email fundraising@app-network.org APP's Royal Parks Half Runners We have three amazing runners taking part in the Royal Parks Half marathon in London on Sunday 9th October. This unique challenge takes in some of the capital's world-famous landmarks on closed roads, and four of London's eight Royal Parks - Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James's Park and Kensington Gardens. All our Royal Parks runners have first hand experience of a PP diagnosis and the impact this can have. Sarah chose to run for APP as she h 'APP give great support to women with a history of PP and they are raising awareness. I want to raise some funds to help them continue this great work.' To support Sarah, visit her fundraising page. Steve is passionate about raising funds for, and awareness of APP after his wife was diagnosed with PP nine years ago after the birth of their first child. He says: 'APP has been a reliable touchstone for information and community in the years since. They are a small charity so every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference and helps them carry on their good work.' Find out more and offer your support to Steve here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/steve-bushell2 Sharing their story as part of his fundraising campaign has been a positive way of raising awareness of postpartum psychosis. He says: 'As well as our amazing families and friends, we have been fortunate to have the support of the APP community and the NHS staff over the last eight months. Their work makes such a difference to those unfortunate enough to experience postpartum psychosis.' You can support Jamie's fundraising efforts here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/app-stock A massive thank you to all our runners and to everyone who has supported them. We're so grateful and the funds raised will make a real difference to so many families affected by postpartum psychosis.
To get January 2023 off to a flying start, Rachel Evans, one of APP's fantastic team of peer supporters, has taken on the challenge of running every day this month as part of a Miles for Mums and Babies Challenge. 
Brighton Marathon Bike Ride 2nd April - BM Ride 50km flat ride taking place on closed roads in the centre of Brighton & Hove – suitable for all levels and family friendly!
Bungee - For anyone feeling brave enough, there are bungee jumps available throughout the year and in beautiful locations over the country - Whitby, Windsor, Bristol, Rotherham, Battersea, Cambridge, Salford, Tatton Park, Brighton, Glasgow, Birmingham.
Fancy jumping out of a plane at 10,000ft?! Skydives take place throughout the year all over the UK – locations include St Andrews, Auchterarder, Errol, Coleraine, Swansea, Bridlington, Brigg, Durham, Lancaster, Grange-Over-Sands, Nottingham, Whitchurch, Cambridgeshire, Norwich, Brackley, Maidstone, Salisbury, Old Sarum, Honiton and Cornwall.
Inflatable Fun Runs – 2.5k, 5k, 10k and 15k fun runs around a course involving 17 massive bouncy obstacles! One all the family can join in with. Events take place between April and October in Exeter, Guildford, Kent, Towcester, Leeds, St Albans, Bristol, Southampton, Wolverhampton, Cheshire, West Sussex, Edinburgh, Lincoln, Norfolk, Huntingdon, Warwickshire.
This month, our incredible fundraiser Lee Smith of Washington, Tyne and Wear, will embark on the first of twelve physically demanding challenges to fundraise for APP and raise awareness of postpartum psychosis.
Sarah Honeywood from Northumberland has chosen to take on a Miles for Mums and Babies challenge to help raise awareness of and funds for APP.
A huge thank you to the wonderful team at Clover Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) in Winchester. They are taking on a #MilesforMumsandBabies challenge this November to help raise vital funds for APP.
If you work somewhere you get through a lot of ink, you can get a free collection box. Find out more and get your freepost label here: recycle4charity.co.uk
Gift Aid is a tax relief for charities in the UK to increase donations – at no extra cost to the donor. When a
charity receives a donation from a UK taxpayer, the organisation is entitled to claim an extra 25% paid on
that donation.
Donors need to #tickthebox on our Gift Aid declaration form and provide some basic personal details, return it to us and then we can claim 25p for every £1 given.
Once a donor has given their permission by filling in the Gift Aid declaration form, there is no need for them to do anything else.
For charities to claim Gift Aid on a donation, the donor must have paid UK income tax or capital gains tax that tax year, at least equal to the tax that the organisation will reclaim on the individual’s donations.
Even if the donor is not currently employed they are eligible to make Gift Aid payments so long as, at some point in the tax year in which they make the donation, they pay enough tax on any of the following:
• Personal or occupational pension
• Stocks or shares
• Bank or building society savings accounts
• Rental income
• Overseas or UK investment dividends
Higher rate tax payers are entitled to claim the difference between the top rate of tax they pay, and the basic rate on the total value of the donation. Individuals can claim the additional tax relief through their self-assessment tax return or by asking HMRC to amend their tax code.
You donate £100 to charity – they claim Gift Aid to make your donation £125. You pay 40% tax so you can personally claim back £25.00 (£125 x 20%).
ad PP when she had her daughter at age 37.
She says: 'I am now 57 and celebrating 20 years of good mental health aided by regular running and other things. The internet was in its infancy 20 years ago, so I didn't meet anyone else with experience of PP until I discovered APP.
Steve Bushell is an experienced APP fundraiser, having already completed a marathon for us last year!
Jamie Stock is running to raise funds for APP after his wife was diagnosed with PP earlier this year.
