A mental health charity based in Kendal is celebrating 20 years of service with 20 separate fundraisers.

Growing Well originally started in Sizergh in 2004, but now has two additional sites at Tebay Services and in Egremont - the latter opening this month.

To mark the big birthday, 20 of the charity's biggest supporters are banding together in the hope of raising £20,000.

Read more: Kendal charity benefits from bakery's £1,090 donation | The Westmorland Gazette

Every penny raised will go directly to supporting people across Cumbria and North Lancashire who need 'specialist, structured support to navigate their mental health journey and move forward positively with their lives'.

Sinead McCann, the manager at the charity's Low Sizergh site, is one of those fundraisers, is tackling a Great North triathlon.

Sinead explained: "I'll be swimming across five lakes, cycling the Hadrian's Wall cycleway coast to coast, and running the Great North Run.

"It's going to be a big challenge - having everyone's support (and their money!) will keep me motivated and hopefully I'll make it to the finish line on Sunday, September 8."

Growing Well works by helping people with mental health struggles through practical activities in horticultural settings.

Read more: Tebay Services celebrate a year of community investment | The Westmorland Gazette

Beneficiaries attend for one day per week for up to a year and leave equipped with new skills and better able to manage their own mental wellbeing on an ongoing basis.

Alice Pattinson is another of the 20 fundraisers and is a patron of the charity, having joined the Tebay team in October 2023.

Having already surpassed the goal of £1000, Alice will be completing the 1500 metre swim in Ullswater at the start of June, as well as walking 20 miles in the same month.

She said: "Its been a fantastic experience so far [at Growing Well] - learning all about the different elements of horticulture, putting my hand to new skills and receiving support for my mental health.

"Growing Well at Tebay services will eventually help 100 people a year from Eden, Carlisle and North Cumbria recover from mental health difficulties, with our unique approach to recovery through supported activity in the outdoors, within a real-world horticulture enterprise."

You can find out more about Growing Well's '20 for 20' campaign, along with additional fundraising links, here.