A Christmas Market at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington, in support of the charity, ‘I’m George’s Mate’, helps get the word out about mental health struggles.

Despite heavy rainfall and rather unfavourable weather conditions, the Christmas Market at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form in Darlington, in support of the mental health charity, “I’m George’s Mate”, was still a booming success! With games of skill, cakes sales, raffles and the opportunity to meet Santa himself, there was truly something for all the family!

This festive event was a fundraiser for “I’m George’s Mate”, a local charity, that aims to ‘raise awareness of mental health challenges faced by young adults’ and ‘contribute to mental health and suicide prevention courses in schools and colleges’.

Among the many market-goers having a good time and lending support to the charity, was Peter Gibson, the Conservative MP for Darlington, who said: “I am very pleased to be able to help and support ‘I’m George’s Mate’. I recently attended a session in the House of Commons, where I was able to ask Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the House, a question regarding the government’s support for the charity, to which she gave a helpful reply. Furthermore, I am pleased to be here at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form and be able to support the charity’s Christmas market”. This issue being brought up in Parliament by Darlington’s MP, not only gives the charity more coverage, but also spreads their message on a national-scale – the question and answer can be viewed here.

The market on Saturday, was not only a fun day out for the family, but also a symbol of the vast support for I’m George’s Mate, shown by those within the local community.

Alongside, Peter Gibson MP, was Richard Holden, the Conservative Party Chairman and MP for North West Durham, who told us: "I was really delighted that Peter invited me down here today because I think particularly the support that is being seen by the whole community for George and his family is just phenomenal – with such a good turnout despite the torrential rain…and it has also been great to see that support in Parliament from all sides…for example, my Labour neighbour, Liz Twist has had an issue with this in her own family, and also people from right across the country have as well…it's great that this campaign is supported locally by Peter and others as this is such an important issue that affects so many families across the country…it's really important that we: talk about it, get it out in the open and to try and get help and support those families who are affected.” This message from Mr Holden MP, reiterates the important fact that mental health struggles are a common thing and the aim of I’m George’s Mate to provide support for those who are suffering, is a goal shared by politicians on all sides of the house.

Now, you may be wondering – how can I get involved? Well, you can support fundraising events carried out by the charity, like Saturday’s Christmas Market at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form; donate on the charity’s GoFundMe page; and most importantly, sign the Parliamentary petition, which calls for suicide prevention to become a compulsory part of the curriculum in secondary schools across the country.

Nonetheless, this event of Saturday festive fun, was a great way to entertain the family, while supporting an organisation, rooting for meaningful change for the better!