Mid-Year Newsletter

These last six months or so have flown by, and with summer now upon us, we hope this newsletter finds you well and upbeat. As we share with you the latest happenings and upcoming events at the Ted Senior Foundation (TSF), we firstly want to extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your unwavering support and dedication to us as a charity.

This year, we have been taking some time to reflect on our journey so far, and agree on our objectives and ambition for the future. This has been an incredibly exciting and rewarding process that has reminded us of just how much we have achieved together with all of your ongoing support.

We couldn’t do this without the amazing work of our trustees, and this year we were lucky enough to welcome Laura Normand to the team. Laura was a close friend of Ted’s from the University of Bristol and will act as our new treasurer, bringing with her a wealth of expertise and a shared passion for our vision as a mental health charity.

Looking forward, we want to ensure that all of your donations are having the biggest impact possible, reaching individuals and communities who need it most.

We have been working hard behind the scenes to develop our grant-making processes to help support other amazing charities aligned with our goals, as well as building our network of mental health first aid providers, allowing us to offer more training to more people.

We hope that through this approach of partnership and training, we will have a real, meaningful impact on the lives of people who may otherwise have nowhere to turn.

Our Fundraisers

Since January we have received over £20,000 in donations, fundraising and grants. This is down to the incredible efforts of people taking on various physical and mental challenges, buying our TSF merchandise, and putting on fundraising events. We would like to thank each and every one of you that has supported us. 

In May, Justine, Seb and Olie Kristensen ran the Copenhagen Marathon in support of TSF.

In February, we were once again the chosen charity at the annual talent extravaganza, Monmouth’s Got Talent, organised by Monmouth School for Boys, School for Girls and Comprehensive School.

Finlay Mitchell has continued to raise money for us at his fighting events, all while becoming the new Welsh K1 Cruiserweight Champion.

Rugby Sevens team, Speranza 22 continues to raise funds and awareness for us as a charity at each tournament they play in.

University of Bristol students Esme and Becan (pictured) along with Ella, Ben, Alicia and Freya, completed the Paris Marathon in April in support of TSF.

The residential halls of Wills and Churchill at the University of Bristol again raised money for us at the third edition of their annual charity rugby match.

Cardiff Medics Squash Club have raised money for us at their charity pub quiz and dinner ball.

At the end of June, Luke Hunter, Ben Crockett, Andrew Davies, Chris Morgan and Dave Morgan all took on a triathlon challenge in Pembrokeshire, West Wales.

We are always incredibly grateful for your dedication and support, so if you feel inspired and want to help fundraise please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Our Partnerships

James' Place

We are delighted to continue our partnership with James’ Place who have a new treatment centre in Newcastle which was opened by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales in January.

The Newcastle centre opened to all men in suicidal crisis in the region and has already provided free, life-saving therapy to over 140 men.

We are really looking forward to strengthening our relationship with James’ Place who plan to open two more treatment centres and aim to provide life-saving services accessible to half the male population in England by 2026.

To learn more, visit their website here.

The Support After Suicide Partnership (SASP)

We have an amazing partnership with SASP and will continue to support them by providing an annual donation of £5,000 for the next three years.

SASP is a UK wide network of over 100 members and supporters that brings together suicide bereavement organisations and people with lived experience, to achieve a vision that everyone bereaved or affected by suicide is offered timely and appropriate support.

In March, they released a new guide which includes information on how people who are neurodivergent may react to a bereavement, key barriers being faced to accessing support, and guidance for services.

To learn more, visit their website here.

Mind in Gwent

Thanks to receiving a grant from the Nationwide Building Society, we are delighted to be able to help fund further courses and training from Mind In Gwent in Sucicide First Aid.
 
Newport Mind is taking the lead in coordinating this initiative to equip our community with the skills needed to identify and intervene when someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts.

There are three fully funded courses available for anyone who works in the Gwent area, with no previous experience necessary. The training will be offered online or face to face and will be facilitated at local venues through until the end of December. We were amazed at how quickly the courses filled up last time, highlighting the need for this really important training.

A special thanks must go to Nationwide employee Ceri Edwards (pictured with trustee, Rosie Senior) who applied for the grant on behalf of us. 

If you would like to access this training, view the available courses and book your place, follow the link below.

Ted's Friends

We are excited to have a new group of ‘Ted’s Friends’ from the University of Bristol medical school, who are based within various sports clubs.

They will continue to support their peers, working together to improve the overall mental health of their respective sports club members. We have recently overseen their two day Mental Health First Aid Course as part of their induction training and are really looking forward to working with them all.

A massive thank you to Mike Armiger who manages the scheme and to all of our Ted’s Friends volunteers who give up their time to support others.

TSF Charity Rugby Match 2025

This year we decided to take a break from the TSF Charity Rugby Match in order to give ourselves some time to take stock and put energy into other areas of focus for the charity. However, we very much look forward to welcoming everyone back to Monmouth for the third edition of the event which will again see the TSF Barbarians side take on a Monmouth-based team. Keep an eye out for updates later in the year!

Since April, many players who participated in the first two matches meet up every Tuesday to play touch rugby in London, highlighting the immediate impact this event has had in bringing individuals from both teams together. Not only does it serve as a great opportunity for people to exercise and have some fun, it is also a safe place for people to share their feelings and seek support.

If you are London-based and interested in getting involved, reach out to Max Senior (trustee) who can provide more information. 

Cycle Challenge 2025

Close friend of the foundation James Mitchell, is organising a British Three Peaks cycling challenge in August, 2025. The cycle will take place over a week, with medical students from each capital city completing each leg. To express your interest in taking part, please get in touch with us directly.

Everything we do at the Ted Senior Foundation is for Ted. Together with your help, we know we are making a difference.

Your support and dedication are instrumental in making the positive change we see possible. From all of us, thank you, and we wish you a happy and healthy rest of 2024.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose!