Sam Layton

Mental health instructor and campaigner from the UK. Currently launching a charity, Support For Us, focusing on young people’s mental health- She/her

[Sam Layton @SamLaytonUK]

Speaker with lived experience wanted for World Suicide Prevention Day event being held in Middlesbrough on 10th Sep.
Speakers will be paid for their time & have travel reimbursed.
If you’re interested, please DM me
#prrequest #journorequest #prequest #mentalhealth #MensHealth

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

Thank you to every single person who has donated so far.

I am walking 345 miles to raise awareness of young people’s mental health- I will be posting blogs daily about different aspects of young people’s mental health.

Donate today

Go Fund Me: https://t.co/GucsKYUSeL

Follow my journey

X: @B2BMarchester
Instagram: @B2BMarchester
Facebook: https://t.co/AkW2C60L8p
Website: https://t.co/ejBtaC4QFb

#mentalhealth #london #middlesbrough #manchester #wigan #Aspull #mentalwellbeing #Finchley #goldersgreen #barnet #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mentalhealthawareness #depressionisnojoke #DepressionIsNotAJoke #DepressionAndAnxietyAwareness #arfid #eatingdisorderawarenessweek #eatingdisorders #eatingdisorder #suicide

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

London - done. 101.95 miles completed. Next stop- Middlesbrough.
I am sadly slightly behind my target however I am hoping to catch up over the next few days.
One thing I thought I would do a post on is the 'please offer me a seat' badge. I currently own ones from @BeeNetwork and @TfL although I admit, I don't use them a lot.
Why? I always worry about the stigma attached to having hidden health issues/disabilities, which is something that shouldn't exist.
If you looked at me, you'd think there was no problem. Similarly the whole reason I am on this train is a 345 mile walk. Despite that, I in fact struggle to stand for long periods, especially on trains or buses.
Having had some physio, there is mixed views as to what the underlying issue could be however it's an issue that's been prevalent my whole life.

Where I've not had my badge on me, I have been tempted to get off the train and wait for the next one because after around 10 minutes of standing I am struggling.
In London, I have been tempted to travel 15 minutes in the opposite direction just to ensure I get a seat.
This, combined with the lack of public toilets, can make travelling stressful for me.

Today, commuting from London to Middlesbrough, the train was ten minutes delayed and some of the toilets within the train station were out of service so I was desperate to just get on my train and get a seat.
Whilst I was not wearing the badge at that moment, I explained to the staff at @GC_Rail that I struggle to stand and, with the help of Dan and Alex, I was thankfully provided a seat so want to thank them both. Whilst travelling can be stressful, the actions of others can make it less stressful.

With my mobile having been broken, I have not managed to post anywhere near as much as I'd like to but I now have a new phone so hoping to get that set up tonight.

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I am walking 345 miles to raise awareness of young people’s mental health- I will be posting blogs daily about different aspects of young people’s mental health.

Donate today

Go Fund Me: https://t.co/GucsKYUSeL

Follow my journey

X: @B2BMarchester
Instagram: @B2BMarchester
Facebook: https://t.co/AkW2C60L8p
Website: https://t.co/ejBtaC4QFb

#mentalhealth #london #middlesbrough #manchester #wigan #Aspull #mentalwellbeing #Finchley #goldersgreen #barnet #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mentalhealthawareness #depressionisnojoke #DepressionIsNotAJoke #DepressionAndAnxietyAwareness #arfid #eatingdisorderawarenessweek #eatingdisorders #eatingdisorder #suicide

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

Just found an article posted in @WigToday about my walk
https://t.co/FM7Pgjg8CM

I am walking 345 miles to raise awareness of young people’s mental health- I will be posting blogs daily about different aspects of young people’s mental health.

Donate today

Go Fund Me: https://t.co/GucsKYUSeL

Follow my journey

X: @B2BMarchester
Instagram: @B2BMarchester
Facebook: https://t.co/AkW2C60L8p
Website: https://t.co/ejBtaC4QFb

#mentalhealth #london #middlesbrough #manchester #wigan #Aspull #mentalwellbeing #Finchley #goldersgreen #barnet #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mentalhealthawareness #depressionisnojoke #DepressionIsNotAJoke #DepressionAndAnxietyAwareness #arfid #eatingdisorderawarenessweek #eatingdisorders #eatingdisorder #suicide #journorequest #prrequest

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

Day 1 blog: The Life of Sam
For todays blog, I have written a short blog where I briefly introduce myself, my lived experiences of mental health issues and talk about Borough 2 Boro Marchester.

Have a read here: https://t.co/ryw3OvP8fw

I am walking 345 miles to raise awareness of young people’s mental health- I will be posting blogs daily about different aspects of young people’s mental health.

Donate today

Go Fund Me: https://t.co/GucsKYVq4j

Follow my journey

X: @B2BMarchester
Instagram: @B2BMarchester
Facebook: https://t.co/AkW2C61iXX
Website: https://t.co/ejBtaC5ouJ

#mentalhealth #london #middlesbrough #manchester #wigan #Aspull #mentalwellbeing #Finchley #goldersgreen #barnet #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mentalhealthawareness #depressionisnojoke #DepressionIsNotAJoke #DepressionAndAnxietyAwareness #arfid #eatingdisorderawarenessweek #eatingdisorders #eatingdisorder #suicide

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

Having set off at 8am from Union Street, SE1, here are some of my photos from this morning

I am walking 345 miles to raise awareness of young people’s mental health

Donate today

Go Fund Me: https://t.co/GucsKYUSeL

Follow my journey

X: @B2BMarchester
Instagram: @B2BMarchester
Facebook: https://t.co/AkW2C60L8p
Website: https://t.co/ejBtaC4QFb

#mentalhealth #london #middlesbrough #manchester #wigan #Aspull #mentalwellbeing #Finchley #goldersgreen #barnet #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mentalhealthawareness #depressionisnojoke #DepressionIsNotAJoke #DepressionAndAnxietyAwareness #arfid #eatingdisorderawarenessweek #eatingdisorders #eatingdisorder #suicide

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

Thanks to @Southwark_News for doing a piece on my walk.
Only 4 days to go

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

Only 5 days to go until @SamLaytonUK starts Borough 2 Boro Marchester, a 345 mile walk to raise awareness of young people's mental health.

Check out this video to find out more about her experiences and what motivated her to set this challenge.

Donate today

Stripe (no minimum): https://t.co/fEs0UE4gKt
Go Fund Me (minimum £5): https://t.co/GucsKYUSeL

Follow her journey

X: @B2BMarchester
Instagram: @B2BMarchester
Facebook: https://t.co/AkW2C60L8p
Website: https://t.co/ejBtaC4QFb

#mentalhealth #london #middlesbrough #manchester #wigan #Aspull #mentalwellbeing #Finchley #goldersgreen #barnet #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mentalhealthawareness #depressionisnojoke #DepressionIsNotAJoke #DepressionAndAnxietyAwareness #arfid #eatingdisorderawarenessweek #eatingdisorders #eatingdisorder #suicide

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

In 2 weeks, I start Borough 2 Boro Marchester, a 345 mile walk across London, Middlesbrough and Manchester.

On Thursday, I managed to go on a walk around Greater Manchester.

Spending today finalising some of the logistics- managed to sort most of the travel and accommodation but have a few minor things to finish up on over the next few days.

Managed to make the finishing touches on the push chair to make it easy to push- have some work to do on the banner on my back that I'm hoping to sort this weekend.

Thank you to everyone who's shown their support so far, whether it be kind words in the street or for those who've donated. Still have a long way to go but excited for the start on 31st May.

Show your support today
Stripe (no minimum): https://t.co/fEs0UE4gKt
Go Fund Me (minimum £5): https://t.co/GucsKYUSeL

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

When someone asks us “how are you” we tend to respond with “I’m fine”….But are you really fine?

From 31 May I will be walking 345 miles to raise awareness of young people’s mental health: https://t.co/cs7YgBFelo
#mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthawarenessweek #mentalhealth #borough2boromarchester

Video audio: Everyday, people lie and get away with it. We have all lied at some point in our lives. Whether it be telling someone you like what they’re wearing when you don’t, that you were stuck in traffic when in fact you just got out of bed late or that you tick the box that you’ve read the 500 page terms and conditions when in fact you didn’t even glance at them. What if I told you there is a bigger lie that we all say?
“I’m fine”. Not sad, angry, frustrated, tired, burnt out. Just “fine”.
Why, as a society, are we conditioned to respond this way rather than being honest?
We’re taught from a young age that lying is bad yet this is a lie we all say.

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

Today marks the start of Mental Health Awareness Week.
Many know the importance of weeks like this. There are those, however, who feel that weeks like this are unnecessary. The issue is:
- When some are off work due to their mental health, they’d rather lie than be honest due to the stigma surrounding mental illness
- Too many think you just need to ‘snap out of it’ when you’re struggling
- People minimise your problems by comparing you to others
- Some view you as ‘weak’ by some if you ask for help
- Suicide is stigmatised as selfish or ‘the cowards way out’
Looking at this photo, you’d think I was a happy, jolly teenager. What you don’t see is the depression I was battling behind closed doors. Just weeks later, I had the most difficult day in terms of my mental health where I felt like life wasn’t worth continuing. People think that those who are struggling are those who are always sad, don’t get out much and who struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
Those who fit that box do struggle.
But so do those who turn up to school or work every day. So do those who are the life of the party. So do those who smile and act jolly.
At my lowest, when someone asked how I was, I responded that I was fine and laughed with them over something trivial.
Nobody knows the battles people face behind closed doors. Until we live in a society where everyone is comfortable being open about their mental health and there is no stigma surrounding it, weeks like Mental Health Awareness Week will always be needed.
#Mentalhealth #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mentalwellbeing #depression #youngpeople

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

Nice walk around #Manchester today. Bit slower than I’d like but that was largely due to hiccups whilst filming a Tik Tok.

4 weeks until I start my 345 mile walk around #London #Middlesbrough and #Manchester

[Sam Layton @SamLaytonUK]

Alongside the fact that trans woman should be allowed to use things like the female toilets, no one seems to be talking about what rooms should trans men use? If trans woman must use mens spaces, should trans men use woman's spaces...?

[Sam Layton @SamLaytonUK]

A lot of people supporting the Supreme Court ruling are glad for many reasons, one being that they feel trans woman should not allowed to be in women only spaces (e.g. toilets/changing rooms).

[Sam Layton @SamLaytonUK]

- Makes lives harder for trans woman
- Put them at risk
- Risk masculine looking cis-woman like me being challenged/stopped
- Make it harder for anybody who is trans to be themselves

[Sam Layton @SamLaytonUK]

RT @b2bmarchester: Sam's story and what motivated her to do #Borough2BoroMarchester, a 345 mile walk for young people's mental health:

Wha…

[Sam Layton @SamLaytonUK]

In 6 weeks I'll be starting @b2bmarchester, walking 345 miles for #youngpeople's #mentalhealth.

Through my own lived experience of mental health issues as a young person, I want to raise awareness of young people's mental health and the issues many face.
#Borough2BoroMarchester

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

In 2005, I was a child oblivious to what was missing in my life.
In 2010, I was a teenager with little aspirations in life.
In 2013, I was existing rather than living and barely getting by day by day.
In 2015, I felt life wasn’t worth living. I felt like nothing would improve and I didn’t have the strength to continue.
.
.
.
In 2016, I graduated school.
In 2017, I became a Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor and mental health campaigner to use my voice and experiences to improve the lives of others.
In 2021, I got a new job, moving from London to Middlesbrough to start a new chapter in my life.
In 2024, I found out I will be starting a new job in Manchester.
In 2025, I will be walking 345 miles to highlight my journey and raise awareness of young people’s mental health.

[Borough 2 Boro Marchester @b2bmarchester]

From 31 May, Sam Layton will start Borough 2 Boro Marchester, a 345 mile walk across 3 cities.

Through her own lived experience of mental health issues as a teenager, she is setting herself a new challenge to raise awareness of young people's mental health and to fundraise for Support For Us, a charity being launched to provide training and resources around young people's mental health.
Every day, she will post a blog to raise awareness of different aspects of young people's mental health.

Show your support today:
-Follow on social media
-Share with friends and family
-Drop a donation
-Get in touch if you would like to walk a section with Sam or share your experiences

Go Fund Me (minimum £5): https://t.co/GucsKYVq4j
Stripe (no minimum): https://t.co/fEs0UE4OA1

#mentalhealth #mentalwellbeing #youngpeople #London #Middlesbrough #Teesside #Manchester