Care Pro Cheryl's skydive for mental health
In support of local Barnsley charity, MAT.
Cheryl is a Care Professional at Home Instead Barnsley and, recently, she has decided to take on the challenge of a skydive in order to raise money and awareness for mental health, following the passing of her close friend, Mathew.
She hopes to donate the money to a local charity in Barnsley, MAT Charity, in order to enable them to continue the work they do in supporting the community. At Home Instead, we wanted to speak with Cheryl and shine a light on this initiative, showing how incredible our caregiver workforce really is.
“Me and my son are planning on doing a skydive on the 25th of June this year in the hopes of raising £5,000 for a charity very close to my heart, MAT Charity”
About MAT Charity
MAT Charity is a charity based in Barnsley that was formed after the passing of Mathew Fullerton, Cheryl’s close friend. The organisation was created in 2021 by Mathew’s mum, Susan, in memory of Mathew after he sadly took his own life in October 2020, having struggled with his mental health for quite a while.
Mental health is a subject that has always had a stigma attached to it, particularly for the elder generation and males – with around three quarters of suicides in England and Wales being males. By coming together to keep Mathew’s legacy alive in a time of grieving, the team at MAT have truly created something special; forming a ‘safehouse’ team for anyone and everyone who may be struggling with their mental health and simply just need to talk.
“Mathew’s family and friends wanted to come together to give something back by supporting and helping those who are suffering with their mental wellbeing and to provide support to their loved ones.”
For Cheryl, it’s all about advocating for MAT to carry on doing the work they do. As relatively new and small charity, it feels more personal to her.
“For some of the bigger, more well-known charities £5,000 can feel like a drop in the ocean, but with MAT we’re going to be able to see the difference it makes straight away. The funds will be going towards MAT having their own safe space for anyone struggling with their mental health and maybe needs a little time out, a listening ear and a friendly face.”
Since Mathew’s passing, Cheryl and Mathew’s family have all become much more conscious of mental health in their fellow friends and family. For Cheryl, this has also been reflected in her role as a Care Professional, taking more time to ask clients if they’re ok and, most importantly, taking action when she notices something’s up.
Companionship care for elders and vulnerable adults is especially important when it comes to mental health, an important part of our service involves our Care Professionals providing companionship to older clients to enable them to remain happy in their own homes for as long as possible.