Walk for Molly organised by family and friends in Derry raises £11,500 for AWARE

The relatives and friends of Molly Elliott hosted the fundraising walk in aid of AWARE NI, the depression charity for Northern Ireland.

The event took place on 28 June 2021, marking the first anniversary of Molly’s death.

Molly’s sudden death, at the age of just 20 years old, resulted in shock and heartbreak for her family and friends.

In her memory, they hosted ‘A Walk for Molly’, whilst many people also completed a 100 mile walk over the month of June to raise £11,500 for mental health charity, AWARE, which supports local people affected by depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

Margaret McCrossan, Community Fundraising Officer at AWARE said: “We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of young Molly Elliott. At AWARE, our mission is to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, and to promote open conversations about mental health. We are incredibly grateful to the family and friends of Molly who have helped raised vital funds to ensure we can continue to support more people affected by depression and other mental illnesses.”

The funds raised for AWARE will be used to provide mental health support to people of all generations in Northern Ireland. This includes the charity’s free-to-attend support groups welcome people living with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

The groups provide a safe space to meet with others on a similar journey who can understand, encourage and suggest helpful ways of coping. AWARE NI also delivers mental health awareness courses to schools, workplaces, community groups, and hospitals to equip people with the tools they need to best look after their minds.

For full details of AWARE NI programmes and support, please go to www.aware-ni.org