Megan’s 500 Mile(stone) Strut Updates
Welcome to our Fundraising Page
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Megan is walking over 1 million steps to secure our place in the BigGive Christmas Campaign which brings in match funding and pledges, thereby increasing the amount we can raise (and expanding how many people we can support)!
We will post regular updates in our newsletters, on this page and in the BigGive site itself. Please join our mailing list, if you haven’t already. We haven’t had a moment, so we’re officially launching it today. Megan began strutting on the day the Chartered Institue of Housing Awards Event. She will provide updates about each milestone ongoing.
Milestone 1: The ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Nomination
27 June, Manchester
Megan Karnes, our Founder and Chair, talks about her CIH Lifetime Achievement Award Nomination
27 June Miles
27 June Steps
28 June Miles
28 June Steps
Cumulative Total:Â 19,857 steps (to go = 1,036,143)/8.42 miles (to go = 491.58)
Milestone 2: The Hyphen-Zero Birthday (Year)
29 June, London
Megan’s Statement
In the year before the actual day, my grandfather stated that he was in his ’81st year’. He counted the days up to the turn because… you’ve lived a year by the time you’re one. Always made sense to me 😊
As such, I’m beginning my 60th year celebrations on 29th June 2022 (really 2023, but you get my drift).
In 2008, I began the journey of fighting for human rights for people who hoard. Despite being the second highest prevalence of mental disorder, it is still being treated as if removing the symptom of the trauma and distress is the ‘solution’.
I’m asking that this year as a celebration of a hyphen-zero birthday (to come) and this honour in nomination (can’t get ‘lifetime’ anything at 20!) – that you give. That you care about this extraordinary group of people whose distress you see… but continues to be ignored.
For my birthday, I chose to honour my mother, by going to see the Van Gogh Immersive near Spitalfields. Starry Night was one of her favourite paintings. Perhaps her own struggle with rapid-cycle bi-polar disorder made his work more resonant.
It was hugely enjoyable, perhaps even more than I’d imagined! For me, I found new works and was particularly drawn to Four Cut Sunflowers. I had never seen it before, and to this day it has stayed with me.
29 June Miles
29 June Steps
30 June Miles
30 June Steps
Cumulative total:Â 33,804 steps (to go = 1,022,196)/14.31 miles (to go = 485.69)
Milestone 3: 50 Years of London Pride
1 July, London
Megan and her partner of 25 years marched proudly at the celebration of 50 years of the London Pride Parade, alongside East London Out Project (ELOP), where Megan has delivered clinical supervision for over 10 years (another milestone of sorts!).Â
Over one million people attended to celebrate!
1 July Miles
1 July Steps
2 July Miles
2 July Steps
Cumulative total:Â 57,373 steps (to go = 998,627)/24.35 miles (to go = 475.65)
3 July Miles
3 July Steps
4 July Miles
4 July Steps
Cumulative total:Â 74,202 steps (to go = 981,798)/31.98 miles (to go = 468.52)
Milestone 4: Dr Who?
4 July, London
Megan’s Statement
As many of you know, I am wishing to undertake hoarding specific research.
I’ve been accepted into a Doctoral Programme at Middlesex University. I am (struggling) moving ahead with various tasks, one of which was to submit a draft of my abstract (short version of research question, methodology, etc.) for a conference. I (largely) do what I am told. I did this. It got ‘selected‘ which meant I had to design a poster and present it at that conference.
If you could have seen the other posters, (not literally but close), diagrams of the history of time and how the researcher was seeking the answer to some gripping question. I joked with my tutors, quoting a dearly cherished friend, that I didn’t exactly ‘blend‘. Absurdly, my poster ‘won‘ (I genuinely did not know it was a competition).
I am connecting this to 4th July because the next day we went on holiday and I had £75 prize money voucher in my Amazon account! I use smile.amazon and donate regularly to hoardinguk as my chosen charity… so percentage of the monies will go back in to support our work. It was agreed that as I do not take a salary (and have not ever), that I should accept this personally. I decided to replace my tattered old rucksack. See images of my poster and new rucksack.
5 July Miles
5 July Steps
6 July Miles
6 July Steps
7 July Miles
7 July Steps
Cumulative total:Â 124,548 steps (to go = 931,452)/52.81 miles (to go = 447.19)
Milestone 5: Holiday Park
8 July, Camber Sands
Megan’s Statement
I’ve lived in the UK for 23 years. While I feel at home, my story is different to those born and raised here. Each year (other than Covid, of course) we travel within the UK. I try, as well, to experience things that are uniquely British.
This year, I had to work on my actual birthday, so we took off a few days the following week and visited ParkDean Camber Sands.
Crazy golf (lost 2:1)
Swimming pool
Played Bingo
Took long walks on the beach
I’m not allowed to buy mugs anymore, because I have too many – but was allowed a magnet! I also brought back a single shell to add to our small collection.
I had no idea what the long rectangular shell was – but know now it must be a razor clam shell.
8 July Miles
8 July Steps
9 July Miles
9 July Steps
10 July Miles
10 July Steps
Cumulative total:Â 150,265 steps (to go = 905,735)/63.70 miles (to go = 436.30)
Milestone 6: Masterclass & Support Group
11 July, London/Gloucester
Last week we delivered our Choice & Control in Hoarding Disorder for the Chartered Institute of Housing Masterclass.
And the first session of the Gloucester Support Group. This will be meeting the first Thursday of every month beginning in September.
We have had meetings at two different locations, so this will need to be confirmed.
If you are a professional working with people who hoard or a person who hoards who would like to participate in the six month training/support group development programme, please contact us.
11 July Miles
11 July Steps
12 July Miles
12 July Steps
13 July Miles
13 July Steps
14 July Miles
14 July Steps
15 July Miles
15 July Steps
16 July Miles
16 July Steps
17 July Miles
17 July Steps
Cumulative total:Â 174,702 steps (to go = 855,851)/84.94 miles (to go = 415.06)
Milestone 7: CEO & Blackburn Support Group
18 July, London/Blackburn with Darwen
The HUK Team had its first meeting attended by our new upcoming CEO, David Pearce.Â
Megan also delivered Choice & Control Open Day training, which included the first day of training for inducting our new volunteers.Â
Please click here to become a volunteer and support our work.Â
Plus birthday celebrations contine!
Megan delivered the penultimate Support Group Development programme in Blackburn with Darwen.
Travel to Blackburn for the SGD project
Megan statement:
“The day after temperatures resulted in melting streets, I arrived at Euston Station early – knowing that travel would be chaotic at best. Train after train cancelled until I was, finally, able to get on an 11am service.Â
Arriving in Blackburn, it was refreshing to feel the cool air and seeing the welcoming face of Edward Brown https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-61467034. This piece of work has been such a positive experience. Improving practice and support for people who hoard.”
18 July Miles
18 July Steps
19 July Miles
19 July Steps
20 July Miles
20 July Steps
21 July Miles
21 July Steps
22 July Miles
22 July Steps
23 July Miles
23 July Steps
24 July Miles
24 July Steps
Cumulative total:Â 226,136 steps (to go = 801,995)/119.99 miles (to go = 380.01)
Milestone 8:Â Support Groups & Holiday
25 July, London/Ireland
This week, Megan hosted Chairing Positive Change, the free fortnightly case support session for professionals supporting people who hoard.
Hosted LGBTQAI+ Support Group, the monthly hoarding support group for people who hoard.
Delivered clinical supervision for our In-Home Support team.
Delivered penultimate Thurrock Support Group development session.
And attended a complex multi-disciplinary conference about a hoarding case in the North of England, amongst other serious case management issues across the UK – which happen daily with someone from the HUK team engaging.
And after a busy week, Megan will be on annual leave until 15 August. We will update you upon her return.  Â
25 July Miles
25 July Steps
26 July Miles
26 July Steps
27 July Miles
27 July Steps
28 July Miles
28 July Steps
29 July Miles
29 July Steps
Cumulative total:Â 251,467 steps (to go = 776,664)/130.70 miles (to go = 369.30)
Milestone 9:Â Midmost!
30 July, Ireland
Megan’s Statement:
“After working flat out the weekend before travel, I had to give up on getting everything that needed to be done for the charity done, and just go away, the first long break in years!
Stansted to Knock with no problems, actually everything was smoother than ever before, in terms of flying the low-cost Irish airline that hasn’t always seen its customers as worthy of service!
Check-in, crew, flight…all perfect. Our little town on the Leitrim/Cavan border provided the perfect respite. No internet. No television. Just beauty.
Some pictorial highlights from the trip.”
30 July Miles
30 July Steps
31 July Miles
31 July Steps
1 Aug Miles
1 Aug Steps
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2 Aug Steps
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3 Aug Steps
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14 Aug Steps
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15 Aug Steps
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18 Aug Steps
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24 Aug Steps
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25 Aug Steps
26 Aug Miles
26 Aug Steps
Cumulative total:Â 503,378 steps (to go = 552,622)/291.29 miles (to go = 208.71)
Milestone 10: Gloucester Support Group
27 August, Gloucester/London
Our new Gloucester Support Group starts on 1st September:
Skillzone
Tuffley Lane
Gloucester; GL4 0AS
Tel: 01452 834150
skillzone@glosfire.gov.uk
Every first Thursday of the month until 5/1/2023.
Click here for further info how to join.
27 Aug Miles
27 Aug Steps
28 Aug Miles
28 Aug Steps
29 Aug Miles
29 Aug Steps
30 Aug Miles
30 Aug Steps
31 Aug Miles
31 Aug Steps
1 Sept Miles
1 Sept Steps
Cumulative total:Â 571,046 steps (to go = 484,954)/319.55 miles (to go = 180.45)
Milestone 11: HUK 15th Anniversary
5 September, London
This week, we celebrate HoardingUK’s 15th Anniversary. Back in 2008, it all started when Megan, whilst running another national mental health charity, realised that people with hoarding disorder were not being treated the same as people with other mental health disorders.
Here was our first logo!
2 Sept Miles
2 Sept Steps
3 Sept Miles
3 Sept Steps
4 Sept Miles
4 Sept Steps
Cumulative total:Â 605,193 steps (to go = 450,807)/340.89 miles (to go = 159.11)
Milestone 12: Thurrock Support Group
6 September, London
Thank you Anit for your beautiful poem and David for your joke!
“I went out for a walk and found a circular stone with TOIT on it.
Now, I’ve always had the problem that I don’t do things straight away. I always put off doing them, saying things like “I’ll do it later” or “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “I’ll do it when I get around to it”.
But I can’t do that any more because I’ve got one… I’ve got A ROUND TOIT.”
6 Sept Miles
6 Sept Steps
7 Sept Miles
7 Sept Steps
8 Sept Miles
8 Sept Steps
9 Sept Miles
9 Sept Steps
10 Sept Miles
10 Sept Steps
Cumulative total:Â 640,324 steps (to go = 415,676)/355.79 miles (to go = 144.21)
Milestone 13: Blackburn Support Group
11 September, London
I want a tidy life, but I can’t do it on my own.”
Edward Brown has a hoarding disorder and has caused him overwhelming psychological distress. He says he gets a buss out of supporting other hoarders.
The Blackburn Support Group, a pilot scheme, has been put together by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, in partnership with HUK.
The council’s neighbourhood manager, Michelle Rutherford says hoarding is “a big issue in the borough, but a lot of it is hidden. There are lots of different reasons why people hoard. Simply clearing a house does not deal with the issue and can be very traumatic for those affected.”
Read the article on BBC News
11 Sept Miles
11 Sept Steps
12 Sept Miles
12 Sept Steps
13 Sept Miles
13 Sept Steps
14 Sept Miles
14 Sept Steps
15 Sept Miles
15 Sept Steps
16 Sept Miles
16 Sept Steps
17 Sept Miles
17 Sept Steps
Cumulative total:Â 690,881 steps (to go = 365,119)/406.04 miles (to go = 93.96)
