As human beings, it’s not often in life that we find something that perfectly aligns with our feelings.
Mel and I were very proud to have the opportunity for Funnel Packs to partner with WP&UP recently and help to fund the work that they’re doing in the WordPress community.
I’d like to tell you a little bit more about why mental health means so much to us and also about the great work that WP&UP do.
Why you might ask? Well the simple fact is that WP&UP are a charity. They need your support to continue providing help to the people that need it most.
I’m hoping that you might find something you align with here and that you’ll forgo a coffee today and put that money towards helping WP&UP instead.
What does mental health mean to us?
Mel and I are no strangers to mental health struggles. I’ve written about my own demons here in a blog post last year. Mel hasn’t shared hers yet, but I hope she will in time.
In 2013, I was struggling. In fact… I was a blinking cursor, a few paragraphs of text and 15 steps to the front door away from killing myself.
Even now, almost 7 years later – it’s still a painful memory. Had that day gone differently, I wouldn’t be here to write this blog post to you, right now. Nor would I have had the opportunity to meet a girl who would change my life forever.
If a charity like WP&UP had existed in 2013, I would’ve had someone to reach out to. People that understood what I was going through and who would help me. No judgement, no fuss, just compassion and caring.
The web design, marketing and digital business industries can be a really lonely place. Many of us work on our own at home.
There’s no “office gossip” or friendly faces to catch up with every day. Just the grind of work and the hope that today will be one of the good days.
When you hit a low point, unless you have a very understanding partner or friend – there’s no-one you can talk to.
This is what makes charities like WP&UP and Facebook communities so important. You have people that you can reach out to, speak to and break the silence.
WP&UP are a shining light for our community
More than anything else, WP&UP provide a safe space for people who need it the most.
Their mission is to “promote positive mental health within the WordPress community”. But they’re doing so much more than this. They’re getting people to talk about it.
It’s not easy to talk about mental health. For too long it has been a stigma. We fear being labelled as broken or weak. Yet talking and being open is one of the strongest things you can do.
WP&UP have a website, podcast, active slack channel, Facebook group, email, live chat, phone, social media. Essentially, if you have anything slicker than a carrier pigeon – you can reach out to people who care about you.
It’s difficult to summarise in a few paragraphs just how important the work that WP&UP are doing is. They’re not boastful about what they do, they’re just here. A team of amazing humans, giving up their time to help other people.
Did you know that some of the WP&UP team are cycling to WordCamp EU 2020? They’re starting at the venue from 2019 in Germany, then riding all the way to Portugal. Yes that’s 3000km… and no doubt a lot of vaseline!
We (the WordPress community) are insanely lucky to have a charity like WP&UP. We’re lucky to have people that care about us. We’re lucky to have people spreading a message. We’re lucky to have hope, even on the darkest days.
WP&UP are a shining light and they’re here to illuminate those dark days and bring light back into your soul.
What’s in this for you?
You or someone that you know is statistically highly likely to be affected by mental health issues at least once during your lifetime. You may be suffering from that right now.
When you support WP&UP, you help them to be here for someone just like you. Someone who has reached a point in their life where they’re not okay, and they just need things to be okay again.
It’s okay not to be okay, it really is. But to have someone there for you when you need it? That’s quite literally a life saver.
Being able to talk to someone can mean the difference between someone being here tomorrow or just another statistic.
So for you, there’s an opportunity to support positive mental health. There’s a chance for you to donate something and feel good that you can help another human being to get what they need.
Whether you’ve been touched by mental health struggles, or you’re lucky enough to have avoided them thus far in your life… you have the power to make a difference.
My challenge to you
I want to end this post with a challenge to you. Don’t worry, this isn’t the medieval times and I won’t be slapping you with a glove and challenging you to a duel.
Here’s what I’d love you to join me in doing…
During the month of February, I challenge you to donate 5% of the profit that your business generates and donate it to WP&UP.
That’s $5 from every $100 of profit that you earn.
If 5% causes you a genuine hardship, then please feel free to choose a smaller percentage. All I ask is that you do something and take action.
Together we can make a difference to mental health. Together we can make sure another person doesn’t become a statistic. Together we can support a great charity that needs our help.
Sponsor or donate to WP&UP
To sponsor or partner with WP&UP you can visit their new partnership page here. There are a wealth of options available, which can be paid yearly or monthly. The lowest option starts at £85/month so is quite affordable!
If you prefer to make a one-off donation you can do so here. Any donation matters to WP&UP – no matter how big or small.
Thank you for helping to make a difference.
To Dan and the team at WP&UP – thank you for everything that you do. You all mean the absolute world to Mel and I. Please keep up the good fight and #PressForward.
One Comment
We are so grateful to have individuals such as yourselves within the community Mel and Matt! Thank you for being open about your experiences and demonstrating that talking about mental wellbeing can have a positive impact. We also appreciate the financial support of Funnel Packs. It’s an honour to be able to connect with you.
As you said, together we can #PressForward