To mark Mental Health Awareness week, reporter Rhian Evans speaks to charity Isle Listen’s fundraising team.

Being only a year old, Isle Listen’s fundraising team is as green-eared as its trademark green branding but has already packed a punch in the community.

It’s been growing over the past three years but fully came to fruition after receiving funding from the Z Zurich Foundation and is now made up of Emma Callin, Juan Christian, Saskia Larsen and Megan Coulthurst.

Each member of the team is as lovely and warmly welcoming as they are enthusiastic, with a couple kindly extending me an invitation to join them in one of their weekly Castletown Harbour dips.

As I am a cat at heart, I politely declined but appreciated the offer, nonetheless.

As Isle Listen relies solely on financial backing, the fundraising team was built to meet the demands of society.

And society is showing high demands of young people in need of mental health support.

‘It’s difficult because we need to strike a balance of being seen out and about in the community while also not appearing like we’re well resourced’, says head of income development Emma Callin.

She appreciates the fundraising environment is a tough one, especially with people feeling the knock-on affects of the cost-of-living crisis.

Though receiving vital backing from the Z Zurich Foundation, the team says the support from smaller, local businesses has been more consistent than larger corporates, with many, if they can’t provide money, offering to help in different ways, such as volunteering or fundraising.

They’ve had individuals perform incredibly difficult feats to raise money for Isle Listen from a group of girls running four miles every four hours for 48 hours to Neil Allcot who, over Christmas, walked the whole Raad ny Foillan, sleeping rough along the way to fundraise.

‘I think on a local level, fundraisers come to us because they themselves or people they know have had a tough time with mental health issues. And we make sure to take the responsibility to show fundraisers support as well’ says Emma.

The team has a few events of their own coming up to raise some Manx pounds. Tough Mucka is the big one on October 6.

Inspired by the success of the Children’s Centre’s ‘Race the Sun’, Isle Listen hopes it can follow in a similar vein, pushing the charity into the spotlight and becoming an annual must-do in people’s calendars.

It’ll be tough, it’ll be mucky, but it’s designed to be great for your mental health by getting outdoors and challenging yourself.

As Juan says, ‘there are so many things people can do without realising they can do it.’

They’ve also got Tough Mucka Junior for 10–14-year-olds at Poulsom Park on July 20 in collaboration with ManX Games.

And never to be seen leaving anyone out, Isle Listen is even in the early days of collaborating with the MSPCA to create a Tough Moodhey for pets and their owners.

If you don’t fancy getting mucky but don’t mind getting sweaty, Isle Listen has a number of marathon fundraiser spots for races around the world.

Or, if you don’t like to sweat but don’t mind getting wet, the charity is hosting a number of community different sea dips around the island, which you’re all invited to.

The next is at 10am in Port Erin, next Sunday, May 26.

Sea swimming enthusiast and Isle Listen patron Lady Lorimer is expected to be in attendance so make sure to wear your best trunks.