Fundraising for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is one of the leading mental health charities in the UK and has provided invaluable help to countless people.
CALM runs a free, confidential and anonymous helpline as well as a web chat service, offering help, advice and information to anyone who is struggling or in crisis.
What is the Campaign Against Living Miserably?
CALM initially started out as a helpline targeted specifically to young men.
It was originally a Department of Health pilot project that launched in 1997, in Manchester. It was then further rolled out in Merseyside and its target was younger men who were at risk of suicide but thought unlikely to contact mainstream services.
CALM eventually relaunched as a registered charity in 2006 and has grown bigger and bigger since then, with notable celebrity names as patrons and supporters.
The charity has had memorable public-facing campaigns intending to grab people’s attention. This has included public stunts and works of art.
CALM has since moved on from supporting just men and is available to anyone who is struggling with their mental health.
Suicide prevention helpline and live chat
One of the initiatives CALM offers is their prevention helpline for anyone affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts.
This includes a live chat, a helpline and it is open 5pm – midnight every day. It is free, anonymous and confidential.
The paid helpline staff are professionally qualified to work on the suicide prevention helpline and can offer practical advice.
You can also get in touch if you have lost someone to suicide or know someone who could be at-risk.
Practical tools and guides
As well as a daily helpline service, CALM also offers practical advice.
Through its practical tools, guides and ‘how-tos’, the charity has a breadth of information for people affected by suicide or suicidal ideations.
It offers real life tips on a whole host of stuff from their community of CALM supporters. There are also guides, supporter stories and tailored advice for specific issues.
Suicide prevention campaigns
CALM has been behind some of the most notable mental health campaigns in the last few years.
You may remember Project 84, where the charity says it ‘forced the world to stop, think and, most importantly, act’.
In this campaign, 84 life-size statues of men were installed on top of the ITV buildings in London. This was supposed to represent the 84 men who die by suicide each week in the UK.
As a result, 400,000 people signed CALM’s petition for government action on suicide, and it resulted in the government appointing the world’s first ever Minister for Suicide Prevention.
CALM has also had advertising campaigns led by celebrities and sports personalities – including Tyson Fury, Romesh Ranganathan and Professor Green.
The charity has also infiltrated FIFA when players wore kits with CALM’s logo on it – to reach a whole new audience.
Join others fundraising for CALM
CALM is a fantastic charity to support and donate to because of its life-saving work.
You can fundraise directly for CALM on GoFundMe. It can either be a fundraising appeal you do on your own or with friends.
Below are some great examples of people doing this if you’re after some inspiration.
Campaign Against Living Miserably Tough Mudder
This joint fundraiser saw Josh Chapman and Samuel Idinge get together to raise hundreds of pounds for CALM. Josh took on a Tough Mudder event and encouraged supporters to donate as he took part.
National 3 Peaks Challenge in aid of CALM
Louise Harrison and 15 others started this fundraiser and went on to raise thousands. The group took on the National 3 Peaks Challenge – a popular way to raise money – to encourage donations and raise awareness.
In memory of Christopher Ealden
Inspired by and in memory of her brother, Samantha Lovell raised more than £5,000 for CALM. She said: “In raising money for this charity I am hopeful that if even just one life is saved then Christopher’s passing hasn’t been in vain.”
Start fundraising for CALM
It couldn’t be easier to get fundraising for CALM.
Whether you do a fitness challenge, an event or you simply start fundraising because you want to support the cause – you can get started right away.