Leeds martial arts academy launches fundraiser in aid of mental health charity

Aegis Martial Arts’ Leeds East and Leeds South academies have pledged to give £1 on behalf of every student who takes part in online classes during this third lockdown to the charity Mind.

The initiative follows several forced closures for the academies, along with the rest of the leisure industry - which sparked a desire to turn what has been a “tough year” into something positive.

Chrissy Foulds, chief instructor of the Leeds East academy in Killingbeck, said: “We’ve got members who pay monthly membership so basically we moved all our classes online during the first two lockdowns.

“This third lockdown and it being winter, I really wanted to do something to give back.

“We are all stuck in this situation and it would be really nice to do something positive.

“We wanted to raise money for Mind because it’s winter time, everyone’s socialising has been stumped and I think we know it’s getting to be really hard on people’s mental health.”

The east Leeds branch hosts four Facebook live sessions every week, with students having to check into the classes each time - as check-ins count towards their belts.

And for every check-in, the academy will donate £1.

Last week alone, east Leeds had 30 check-ins, generating £30 for Mind.

Chrissy said: “Over the three weeks now we have raised £100 nearly. If this lockdown goes on for another three months, it’s a nice amount of money we are raising.”

She added: “We want to contribute to Mind and raise awareness as well. I’ve been posting on our Facebook group to promote it - to get people involved in exercising, because it promotes mental health, and in case they need to speak to Mind.”

*Aegis Martial Art's project comes as the Yorkshire Evening Post shines a light on issues around mental health in Leeds through our #SpeakYourMind campaign.

First launched in 2016, the campaign has received high-profile backing from the likes of former Prime Minister Theresa May and Kensington Palace.

For more information on Aegis Martial Arts academy visit: https://aegismartialarts.co.uk/leeds-east/Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United, With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.