#5KinMay is back for the third year in a row!
We are once again encouraging people to get involved and take on a challenge to complete or reach 5,000 of something this May! We have a whole host of ideas that you can try out either as an individual or part of a team!
Whatever challenge you choose to take on, whether it be sporty, arty, or something else, it is a fantastic opportunity to get involved and raise vital funds to support local young people’s mental health! Each £5,000 we raise throughout May will directly pay for 4 months of counselling for 5 young people and 20 mental health workshops delivered to groups of 30 in local schools!
Can you take on a challenge and help No5 to help the hundreds of local young people who need help?
This year we will also be involved in a campaign for funding that includes a public vote – can you help us hit 5,000 votes and be part of our #5KinMay Challenge? Keep a look out on 11th May to find out more!
Click here to add a calendar reminder in your phone!
Ideas:
- Read 5,000 pages (around 16-17 fiction books)
- Walk 5,000 steps
- Write a short 5,000 word story
- Do 5,000 star jumps
- Bake 5,000 cookies
- Swim or Run a 5K
- Make 5,000 paper stars (see our tutorial here)
- Complete a 5,000-piece jigsaw or complete 10 jigsaws of 500 pieces
- Crochet or Knit 5,000 stitches or rows
- Score 5,000 goals as a team
- Sing 5,000 words
You are not limited to our ideas, you can do anything you can think of to reach 5,000!
And you don’t have to do this alone – taking on a challenge is much more fun with others so why not get your friends, family, co-workers, or any other group of people involved and contribute to a grand total of 5,000!
Nathanya, our Outreach and Wellbeing Support Counsellor, has got a team together from his gym to take on the Tough Mudder on May 7th. They have gone the extra mile by doubling our 5k challenge and committing to taking on the 10k course filled with various muds and challenges!
To make your challenge a fundraiser, you can set up your own JustGiving page, by clicking here, so your family and friends and can cheer you on, support your challenge and raise money to support local young people’s mental health!
Why 5K in May?
Our #5KinMay challenge was born during ‘Movement week’ of our Young Ambassador’s 2nd#MakeitforMay in 2021 which encouraged young people to get involved in something creative each day based on a theme.
The 5K in May challenge was highly successful as both a fundraiser for young people’s mental health and in encouraging people to get active, so we have ran it every May since!
Being active can have a positive impact on our mental health because it can help us feel calmer, more awake, reduce our feelings of stress and improve our self esteem. (Read more about this here)
Similarly, so can being creative which is why it’s still a key part of our challenge! Research has found that making art can activate reward pathways in the brain (making us feel good!), reduce stress, lower feelings of anxiety and improve our mood. (Read more about this here)
But why the 5K?
The number ‘5’ is a big part of our identity and what better time to take part in a 5K themed challenge then when it’s the 5th month of the year?!
Free Resources for your 5K Challenge
Download our #5KinMay Challenge posters here!
Download our Social Media Kit here!
Remember to tag us on social media @no5youngpeople and use #5KinMay !
Inspiration from previous years!
Team/Group Challenges
HM Staffing – Corporate Challenge
Harry, Charlie, Jo and Jack from The HM Team ran/walked 5K every day for the month of May in 2022 to raise money for local young people.
Olivia and Maddie’s Challenge
In 2021, mother and daughter duo, Olivia and Maddie, took on the challenge by walking a 5K together over the month of May and raised over £2,000!
You can read more about their challenge here.
Francis Construction – Corporate Challenge
Our corporate partner, Francis Construction, raised over £1,000 in 2021’s challenge and had members of their team taking on various 5K challenges such as walks, runs and swims, throughout the month!
Individual Challenges
Max’s Challenge
For #5KinMay in 2022, our Young Ambassador, Max, also walked/ran a 5K everyday in the month of May and raised over £200!
Carly’s Challenge
For our 2021 #5KinMay, our Operations and Relationships Manager, Carly, completed 5 5K’s everyday for 5 days! You can find out more about her challenge here.
