Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

A year ago, mum-of-two Beth Ballam embarked upon a 12-month fundraising mission to support people struggling with their mental health.

So far, she has raised more than £3,000 – but with her challenge set to reach a conclusion this month, Beth is aiming to break the £5,000 mark.

Over the last 12 months, Beth, 34, from Risca, has held a series of monthly events and challenges in aid of mental health charity Mind, such as a virtual 10k race, taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon and completing 3,295 squats in a single month.

Other fundraising events have included raffles, cake sales and charity quiz nights at the Darran pub in Risca, where she works.

Beth said: “Despite the restrictions of lockdowns and the pandemic I’ve been keen to complete challenges, even if that means going out running by myself or completing challenges at home.

“As restrictions lifted,  the challenges became more interactive with multiple charity quizzes allowing the chance for others to get involved and help my fundraising journey.”

The inspiration for Beth’s 12-month challenge was the death of her father in 2011 from a “catastrophic” brain aneurysm.

“That’s the word I remember the doctor using – ‘catastrophic’. It absolutely broke me,” she said.

“I was such a Daddy’s girl, and still am. I genuinely wonder how I have survived the last ten years without him.

“Changing careers, getting married, buying a house and having children. He should have been with me for all those things. I miss him everyday.

“I have been lucky enough to have had amazing support from friends and family to help me through this challenging time, but not everyone is lucky enough to have a support network.”

Beth said it has been “nice to talk openly about mental health” during her fundraising campaign and continued: “It’s in times like these where services like Mind are invaluable in helping those affected by grief, loneliness, depression and more overcome their challenges. 

“I also tragically lost a friend to suicide last year and I can’t help but wonder how things could be different if he had reached out to a service just like Mind.”

On Saturday, March 26, Beth will take on her final fundraising challenge – shaving off her hair.

The event will be held as part of a charity fun day at the Darran pub and will start at 11am, with activities such as face painting, tombola and fete games.

The event will be free to enter, with everyone welcome to attend.

Meanwhile, the opportunity to shave Beth’s hair is set to be auctioned, with the hair being donated to the Little Princess Trust – a charity providing free wigs made of real hair to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer.

Beth added: “With the pandemic and cancellation of events, funding to charities has been significantly impacted and many are facing tough decisions as to how to provide the same level of service with less resources. That’s why it’s important that I do everything I can to support them in this tough time, just like they support others.”

Throughout her fundraising campaign, Beth has been updating her Facebook page with updates. To make a donation to Beth’s campaign, visit her JustGiving page.