Local Councillor running London Marathon to raise awareness of children’s mental health
Local Camden Councillor Siobhan Baillie is running the Virgin Money London Marathon for Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in April next year.
We are one of the partner charities of Heads Together, the chosen campaign for the 2017 London Marathon and also the Mayor of Camden, Councillor Nadia Shah’s, chosen charity of her mayoral year. Working with Heads Together and the Mayor of Camden represents an opportunity for us to achieve our aim to transform current mental health care provision in the UK by improving the quality, accessibility and effectiveness of treatment.
Siobhan, Councillor for Frognal & Fitzjohns ward in Hampstead, has chosen to run for the Centre as part of her commitment to promoting mental health wellbeing and care. This is a crucial subject that receives wide support in the London Borough of Camden. Siobhan said: ‘I was thrilled when Councillor Shah chose the Centre as her chosen charity, as it’s based in my ward and does amazing work. I was looking for a way to support the Mayor's fundraising when she asked all councillors to consider running the marathon.’
Although Siobhan admits to being nervous about agreeing to run 26 miles, she decided to step up because:
‘The marathon will be a huge personal achievement and a great way of fundraising for a very important cause. It’s also important to show the borough's young people how Conservative and Labour councillors work together to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing. The Anna Freud National Centre has an exemplary record of promoting mental health awareness and it makes absolute sense for me to support them’.
This ties in with Siobhan’s work across Camden since her election in 2014. She sits on the borough’s Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny panel and is a school governor for Fitzjohn’s Primary School. She is also chairing a cross-party review of mental health services for 11-19 year olds. The review seeks to identify what services are lacking, what needs to be improved and how we can help young people know what services are available. The Anna Freud National Centre will play a part in the review as experts in the field and integral to the borough's mental health services.
Mayor of Camden Nadia Shah, said:
‘I am delighted that Councillor Baillie is running the London Marathon in support of Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, my chosen charity for my mayoral year. I will be there on the day to see her cross the finishing line and wish her good luck in training and achieving her personal best’.
If you’d also like to support Siobhan, please visit her VirginMoneyGiving page and read her story. You can also suggest motivational music recommendations to add to her training playlist, which is currently dominated by the Foo Fighters - get in touch via Twitter @Siobhan_Baillie and @AFNCCF.