RAF serviceman to travel to Lapland virtually to raise money for Suffolk Mind

RAF serviceman and Suffolk Mind volunteer, Declan O’Keeffe is joining a number of service members to cover 2,200 miles – which is the distance to Lapland – to raise money for Suffolk Mind and the RAF Association.

The 12 days of Christmas Event will run from Tuesday 1st December until Sunday 13th December. The service members will each travel more than 100 miles by walking, running, cycling or rowing to help a virtual Father Christmas get to Lapland ahead of the big day.

Declan, who is from Bury St Edmunds, explains why he has chosen to support Suffolk Mind: “I volunteer for the Suffolk Night Owls telephone support line as I have had experience of mental health issues myself.

“Recently I have had friends that have taken their own lives because they were struggling and did not know who to turn to for help. I want to help people in a similar situation where all they need is to talk to somebody.”

In September, Declan conducted a wheelchair marathon with an ex-serviceman to raise awareness  of the charities he supports: “During this challenge, I raised £150 for Suffolk Mind and have kept my fundraising page open to continue to raise money and awareness through this next challenge.”

Lizzy Tuthill, Community Fundraising Coordinator at Suffolk Mind said: “This fundraising event sounds so exciting, and a great idea in the run up to Christmas.

“The fact that Declan not only volunteers for us but fundraises for us too is fantastic. People like Declan help us in our mission of making Suffolk the best place in the world to talk about and take care of mental health.”

You can support Declan on his JustGiving page here.