Hi my name’s Jon, and I’m doing 100k in May to Keep The Door Open.

I’m head teacher at Sir William Romney School in Tetbury, and I live in Whiteshill. I wanted to support The Door because I know first-hand exactly what difference they make in the lives of young people. I’ve seen it with students in my school.

Everyone is talking about this current Pandemic, but I know that our young people have been facing a crisis of their own for the last few years. The amount of young people, even 11 and 12 year olds, in mainstream education with complex mental health and social needs is huge. It seems to be growing every year. Mental Health is something we are beginning to turn the corner on, people are prepared to talk about it and my staff team are very aware of how important it is. But sadly the support mechanisms in the NHS and Social Care just aren’t there. Don’t get me wrong, they do an amazing job but there is such a gap due to the lack of funding. The Door are able to step in and meet the needs of young people. One girl in school was really struggling, in fact her whole family were finding dealing with her situation incredibly stressful – this was a middle-class couple who had never had to ask for help before. Without The Door I’m not sure where she would be now, but she’s safe, happy and looking towards her future.

Without The Door I’m not sure how young people in the Stroud area would cope, not just during COVID-19 but all the time.

So when Barrie invited me to join the 100k in May Facebook group, I was happy to sign-up. In the current situation at school I’m spending most of my day sitting at my desk, so I don’t get to walk the corridors and exercise. I’m going running in the woods 3 times a week, averaging about 8k each time. Its a great way to unwind and clear my head as well as get some physical exercise – and the views from the peaks are beautiful too. I’ve asked all my friends and family to sponsor me, and most of the staff at school have too – I think that’s an indication of how much we all value The Door and the difference it makes.

Sponsor Jon in his 100KinMay Challenge today at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JonathanBell24

Every donation will go straight towards supporting young people and their families through this crisis and beyond. Find out more about The Door’s current services at thedoor.org.uk

After the challenge we caught up with Jon, here is what he had to say

‘At the start of the 100K May in Challenge I was motivated to raise awareness and donations for the incredibly important work that The Door does in the community that I am proud to live in.  As the month progressed, I found that running longer distances was becoming less painful and, dare I say, more enjoyable as it helped me to wind down after a stressful day at work.  I will certainly continue running in the weeks and months ahead.  I have also been overwhelmed by the level of support from all my family, friends and colleagues who have supported throughout May and helped me to raise an amazing amount of money for The Door.’

Please keep donating at thedoor.org.uk/donate and help #KeepTheDoorOpen