Merrell

Merrell, a leading outdoor footwear brand, has partnered with Mind to promote the benefits of time and experiences in the outdoors on mental health.

Merrell sponsored Mind Hike 2019. Returning in 2021 to Hadrian’s Wall, Mind Hike is one of our most popular fundraising events and offers people the opportunity to explore beautiful locations and accomplish things they never thought they were capable of, all while raising vital funds for our work to make sure everyone with a mental health problem gets the support and respect they deserve.

This year, Wolverine Worldwide, Merrell’s parent company, generously donated thousands of pairs of shoes to local Minds and affiliated walking groups across the UK – a value of over £260,000! This couldn’t have come at a more important time for people struggling with mental health problems.

From the research Mind undertook to understand the impact of coronavirus on mental health, we know that 52% of children and young people and 49% adults say their mental health has got worse due to not being able to play sport or exercise.

Sport England data also showed that across the first six weeks of lockdown, an average of 63% of people said they were keeping active to manage their mental health.

These shoes will help people with a mental health problem and our staff at local Minds stay well by encouraging them to get outdoors. Getting active can reduce anxiety and stress, combat low mood and increase self-esteem, making us feel good on the inside and out.

Simon Sweeney, UK marketing manager at Merrell said: “Considering nearly half of all adults in the UK say they have experienced a mental health problem at some point, we’re looking forward to lending our support to the fantastic work Mind undertakes by playing a part in raising awareness and promoting understanding of mental health.”

You can find out more about Merrell and Mind’s partnership on the Merrell website.