FRIENDS LAUNCH NEW FUND TO HELP CHANGE LIVES AND KEEP PAL MAX’S MEMORY ALIVE
FRIENDS LAUNCH NEW FUND TO HELP CHANGE LIVES AND KEEP PAL MAX’S MEMORY ALIVE
· Sports-lover Max Hunter sadly died by suicide in August 2019
· Eight of Max’s friends are now working with national charity The Mintridge Foundation to launch The Max Hunter Fund
· ‘28 Not Out’ will kick-start the fundraising for the fund in July and will raise money for the very first mentoring programmes
· The 28-hour fundraising event includes an online sports and mental health panel with Leicester Tigers Rugby Star, Dan Cole
23 June 2020
A group of eight friends, who hadn’t all met until their mutual mate Max’s funeral last year, have now joined forces to launch The Max Hunter Fund to positively help young people address their feelings.
The Max Hunter Fund will be launched in July through a 28-hour fundraising event the group have organised, titled ‘28 Not Out’. The 28 hours of non-stop fundraising on the 10th and 11th July will celebrate the life and loves of sports fan Max, who sadly lost his life to suicide at just 28 years old.
All deeply shaken by the loss of Max, the friends wanted to do something positive and decided to launch the fund to directly help other young people to open up, through the power of sport.
The Max Hunter Fund will be delivered via The Mintridge Foundation charity, and will provide mentoring programmes for young people across the UK focussing on Max’s favourite sports. It will encourage a new dialogue around changing and challenging stereotypes, alongside focussing on the importance of looking after our mental health just as we do with our physical.
Alex Wallace, Founder and Managing Director of The Mintridge Foundation, said “Suicide and mental health continue to be incredibly difficult topics to talk about, particularly for young people and that is why we are determined to change that narrative. We have found that it’s not always as simple as “opening up”, but what we want to encourage is for everyone to acknowledge their feelings on a regular basis and that is why we have created the Max Hunter Fund within the Mintridge Foundation. Max had previously fundraised for us as he saw the benefit the mentoring can have on young people.”
28 Not Out will take place between the 10th and 11th July and everyone across the UK is encouraged to get involved. The activity line-up, which has now been tailored to work under lockdown restrictions, include:
Friday 10th July
· 18:00 – A Minute Against Silence on Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/MintridgeFoundation/
· 18:05 – Online Raffle with prizes such as a signed Jonny Wilkinson shirt up for grabs
· 18:30 – Mental Health Live Panel on Zoom hosted by SportSpiel Presenter, Alasdair Hooper and will include the following panellists:
o Dan Griffin, Stamford Rugby Club Player and great friend of Max and part of the group behind the Max Hunter Fund
o Dan Cole, Men's Leicester Tigers & England Rugby Union Player
o Gemma Saggers Psychotherapy & Counselling
o Liam Durkan from Papyrus Charity
Saturday 11th July
· 07:30 – Rachael, who is part of the friendship group, will be running 28 miles as part of the LEJOG 2800km challenge.
· 09:30 – A 28-minute virtual Yoga Session with One Power Yoga
· 12:00 – SportSpiel Podcast with Patrick Foster
· 12:00 – Stamford Rugby Club will be cycling 50 miles, a total of over 1000 miles collectively as part of the LEJOG 2800km challenge.
· 21:30 – Announcement of Raffle Winners and Celebration of Achievements
Anyone, anywhere can get involved with their own activity within the 28-hour period to raise funds. The friends want to keep as many of Max’s favourite activities alive by encouraging people to run, cycle, walk the dog, throw a rugby ball, bounce a tennis ball or sprint the length of a football pitch or the perimeter of a cricket boundary 28 times.
Dan Griffin, of Stamford and close friend of Max, said “As a group we all knew Max from different stages of his life but once we all met, we knew we wanted to come together as one to turn the negative of us losing Max into something positive. It has been nice for us all to have something optimistic to focus on, it has kept us busy and we are determined for the fund to change narratives and to help others with talking openly about mental health.
Max absolutely loved sport and he was a big believer in using sport for positive change, he loved rugby and cricket and played golf to help his mood. I am privileged to be talking amongst some great sport stars and mental health experts on the panel. I think it is so important to talk about the many pressures in life, there are so many pressures for us all, whether that is in sport, in your job or within your relationships, there is always the next milestone we feel we need to hit. We need to help take the sting out of it, letting people know they can stop and they can talk about how they are feeling.
During my time playing Rugby I have heard “man up” so many times around the club, which is one of the worse things we can say. Rugby can get caught up in the macho, manly stereotype and we need to break those barriers down. I try to set an example to the younger guys who come into a squad, I make an effort to check in with all team members at the start of a game. We need to change the narrative and break moulds and that is what I am hoping the Max Hunter Fund will do.”
Dan Cole, Leicester Tigers Rugby Player said: “I am really looking forward to contributing to the 28 Not Out event and being able to join the discussion around mental health and sport. I feel honoured to be invited to take part in this very important conversation, alongside some brilliant Mental Health experts, all whilst raising money for a fund that will have a positive impact on many young people’s lives.”
To donate to The Max Hunter Fund text 28NOTOUT to 70085 to donate £3.
You can register to attend the mental health and sports panel by visiting https://tinyurl.com/28notoutpanel, tickets cost £2.80.
Share your fundraising social posts by tagging @MintridgeFDN #28notout.
To find out more about all 28 Not Out activities and fundraising please visit https://tinyurl.com/28notout
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NOTE TO EDITORS
For more information, images or to set up an interview with Alex Wallace or Dan Griffin, please contact vickie.tebbutt@gmail.com or call 07989475114
The Mintridge Foundation
The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.
Mintridge's team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as Skype, FItSwarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.
The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.