Run, walk or cycle for Birchwood

One in four people experience mental ill health at some point in their lives.

Birchwood Highland, a mental health charity operating in the Highlands, helps people build better lives for themselves, maintain independence and earn acceptance within their communities.

If you - or your friends or work colleagues - are planning to take part in any sporting or endurance event, please consider Birchwood Highland as a beneficiary of the sponsorship you raise.

To download our poster, please click on the image opposite (PDF 941kb). 

Marathon runner supports Birchwood

Congratulations to Fiona Macritchie for finishing in 289th place in the London Marathon (women's category), at 3:20:56 - almost 10 minutes quicker than her 2009 time.

Fiona is a partner in chartered accountancy firm Johnston Carmichael, whose Inverness office has chosen Birchwood Highland as their charity in 2009/10.

Fiona took part in her first marathon 2 years ago, when she and her sister competed in the New York Marathon. Whilst training for New York, she was successful in the ballot for London 2009, and finished in that event in an impressive 3:30:10.

So a big thank you to Fiona for running for Birchwood!

Events in 2010

Here are some of the events taking place in the Highlands in 2010, with links to relevant websites:

Sunday 14th March: Inverness Half Marathon, www.invernesshalfmarathon.co.uk/

Saturday 22nd May: The Glencalvie Challenge - a 17.5 mile sponsored walk /run / bike ride from Black Bridge in Ross-shire to Glencalvie Lodge in Sutherland, www.glencalviechallenge.co.uk/

Saturday 19th June: The Highland Cross - a 50 mile duathlon, 20 miles on foot and 30 miles by bike, from Kintail in the west and Beauly in the east. The route passes through Glen Affric and Strathglass. Birchwood Highland is an associated charity this year. www.highlandcross.co.uk/

Sunday 15th August: Loch Ness 360 - a cycling event around Loch Ness to raise funds for Birchwood Highland, Marie Curie and Clic Sargent. Date awaiting confirmation. www.visitlochness.com/
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Saturday 21st August: The Great Wilderness Challenge - Every year, the picturesque Scottish Highland villages of Poolewe and Aultbea, along with the surrounding country estates, play host to one of Scotland's most gruelling endurance sporting events for charity. To accommodate ever increasing entry demands, new routes were gradually introduced. The 25 mile route has now been joined by 13 and 7 mile distances, meaning that people of all levels of fitness and ability can take part. Birchwood Highland is one of the associated charities. www.greatwildernesschallenge.
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Sunday 3rd October: Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running - entry is now open for 2010! Birchwood Highland is a nominated charity. Visit the website at www.lochnessmarathon.com/

All funds raised will be used to promote independence, inclusion and recovery among our service users. The help that you give enables our Service User Groups to plan, organise and take part in a much wider range of activites than they otherwise would, and thus feel more included and confident among their peers and in the wider community. 

Giving with confidence

Birchwood Highland is a member of the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB), which means that our fundraising is conducted according to the Fundraising Promise and the Institute of Fundraising's Codes of Practice.

Being a member FRSB means that we can display the tick symbol as an assurance of best practice. To see more about what the tick symbol means, please visit the website www.givewithconfidence.org.uk/