Vicar to Run Cardiff Half for MindUK as Church Leads on Mental Health
St Illtud’s Church, Llantwit Major, is dedicated to equipping the ministry area and local communities with Mental Health resources.
On Sunday 1st at 10am, Fr Edwin Counsell of St Illtud’s Llantwit Major, part of the Heritage Coast Ministry Area is running the Cardiff Half Marathon for Mind UK. So far, he has raised £1400.
Fr Edwin said, “Mental health is an issue not affecting other people but it affects all of us, and that’s something I hope we model in this church, and across the ministry area.
"Sometimes our mental health is fine, and everything's great. Sometimes it's a bit out of sorts. Sometimes, just like blood pressure is a lifestyle change. Sometimes it needs medication and professional intervention and that's okay.
"As a church we deal with the completeness of people. It was the wholeness of people that Jesus was passionate about and in that is healing and the fullest expression of God’s love.”
Unfortunately, around Llantwit Major and along the Heritage Coast are several suicide ‘hotspots’.
This is one of the reasons that St Illtud’s Church, a beautiful and historic church building located near the centre of the town, has become a leading point of action for mental health projects and raising awareness in the Church and in the surrounding area.
St Illtud’s have a formal relationship with Samaritans and have the resources available in church and a Samaritans volunteer is a churchwarden.
On World Suicide Prevention Day, a volunteer speaker of Samaritans spoke to the congregation.
Fr Edwin said he is aware that the resources being in church are unlikely to stop a mental health crisis for someone on the spot but wants to equip the community with the awareness and knowledge of how and when to act and offer support.
Also within the Heritage Coast Ministry Area, on the rural path that passes Holy Trinity, Marcross, the team has a candle lit in the church with Samaritan resources on a table below available to people as they walk past.
Fr Edwin said “Mental health has been a consistent, constant focus for the work that we've done here and it's how we've encountered people. We've talked a lot in this church and across the ministry are of what we call ‘radical hospitality’, how we break down the doors, and about how we welcome in the name of Jesus Christ.
"There is an immediate parallel with the Gospels about Jesus encountering people on the fringes. The first century people with mental health issues were marginalised and even today we don't like to talk about it. But when we started talking about it normalises the conversation and that's where mental health charities, like Mind and Samaritans make a massive difference.”
Another of the focuses at St Illtud’s Church is a very active music and art schedule which has brought conversations of health and wellbeing to the forefront.
A music event at St Illtud’s led to a young lady making an album about mental health struggles which was then launched on World Mental Health Day 2019.
For the month of August 2023, the art project ‘Lines of Thought’ was a major draw to the historic church which is open every day of the week to visitors.
Art materials were available in the church for people to come and use and produce art inspired by the church building – being as abstract or literal as you like.
The aim of the project was for people to see physical aspects in a different way as a form of meditation.
The art project has even shown Fr Edwin different parts of the church he didn’t notice before.
He said “We see things in passing and stopping to pause allows us to think what we are missing and that’s also true of people. How often do we ask ‘how are you?’ and not wait for the answer?”
A local writing group was also inspired by the project creating poems and reflections that are still on display in the church.
Fr Edwin has said that his church’s commitment to these resources has made conversations around mental health easier. Of his upcoming run for the charity Mind, he said, “I hope it will be a great event for Cardiff and everyone will get on safely. I want to raise a ton of money for Mind. If we are going to do it let’s go for it.“
Fr Edwin has had a passion for running for many years and occasionally takes part in full marathons but is particularly excited that this time he is running for a cause. He said running has even become part of his faith: “When you run with friends it’s social but when you run on your own it’s almost prayerful because there is a rhythm. It helps me clear my head and the rhythm carries you along.”
If you would like to donate to Fr Edwin’s fundraising for Mind, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fr-edwin