Mind congratulates Four Oarsman on new world record

Mind fundraisers the Four Oarsmen have not only finished their trans-Atlantic row in aid of Mind in first place, but are believed to have completed the fastest Atlantic row of all time, as well as in race history. In doing so they have also managed to raise over £250k, of which Mind will receive half.

In response to the news Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said: 

“On behalf of everyone at Mind I want to congratulate the Four Oarsmen for their extraordinary achievement. Not only has their hard work and determination secured them a record, their victory has raised vital awareness of Mind’s work, as well as helping us ensure that Mind can give mental health support for people who need it, when they need it the most.

“Conquering such a gruelling target is not only phenomenal in itself, it's also a brilliant way to highlight the positive impact physical activity can have on mental wellbeing. Every penny raised will help our work supporting people with mental health problems, including the Mind Infoline, our advice services and the campaigning Mind does to secure a better deal for the one in four of us who experience a mental health problem every year.

“Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. We do this through our network of around 140 local Minds who provide services specific to local needs, supporting over 500,000 people each year. We also support over 16 million people through our award-winning information services, which includes extensive online advice and guides on all aspects of mental health.

“Additionally we run a free Infoline and legal line, which deals with over 76,000 enquiries each year. Aside from this we pioneer new forms of support, including our online peer support community Elefriends, which currently supports over 61,000 people.

“It is only thanks to kind donations and extraordinary fundraising efforts like this that we are able to continue our work, so everyone at Mind is sending their best wishes to the Four Oarsmen for a well-earned rest and a safe journey home.”