Bank workers from Fareham set their sights on Great Wall of China target for mental health charity

TWO bank workers are part of a group trying to raise £250,000 in aid of a mental health charity.
Ollie Sampson and Sven Graham work for Lloyds Bank in Segensworth and Ollie will be taking on the Great Wall of China this weekendOllie Sampson and Sven Graham work for Lloyds Bank in Segensworth and Ollie will be taking on the Great Wall of China this weekend
Ollie Sampson and Sven Graham work for Lloyds Bank in Segensworth and Ollie will be taking on the Great Wall of China this weekend

Ollie Sampson and Sven Graham from Fareham have raised £10,000 as part of Lloyds Banking Group's fundraising campaign '˜Walk the Talk' in aid of Mental Health UK.

The pair have put on quiz nights, raffle and held parties to raise the cash and Ollie is set to take on the final challenge of walking the Great Wall of China with other Lloyds colleagues next week.

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Ollie said: '˜We have been both working really hard to raise the money and it is amazing to reach our target for this charity.

(l-r) Ollie Sampson and Sven Graham have raised 10,000 for Lloyds Banking Group's campaign 'Walk the Talk'(l-r) Ollie Sampson and Sven Graham have raised 10,000 for Lloyds Banking Group's campaign 'Walk the Talk'
(l-r) Ollie Sampson and Sven Graham have raised 10,000 for Lloyds Banking Group's campaign 'Walk the Talk'

'˜I am the charity lead in my Lloyds building in Segensworth and everyone always gets behind these things but I think this one really hit home with people because everyone can relate to it.'

On Monday, Ollie and 34 of his colleagues will be undertaking an arduous 36km trek along the Great Wall of China while, at the same time, thousands of colleagues will be taking part in around 200 walks across the UK.

The 27-year-old said: '˜I am really excited to do the walk and we will also be helping to repair and build part of it as well.'

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Part of the £250,000 has gone towards producing a leaflet about mental health that has been in GP surgeries all round the country.

Ollie added: '˜Working for a company that wants to give back in such a big way is really amazing and I absoltuely love it.'

Best friend Sven was on the reserve list for the Great Wall of China walk but despite being not selected has raised £10,000 with Ollie.

Sven, 30, said: '˜I feel strongly amount challenging myself and at the same time supporting those who are not always as fortunate as many of us.

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'˜I recently attended a meeting with all the fantastic people taking part in this challenge and it was amazing to see the strength and mental resilience that people all around us have.

'˜This made me seriously reflect on my own experiences in my life and I admire the fortitude of these ordinary people that have been forced to deal with extraordinary circumstances, it is quite humbling to say the least.'

Fiona Cannon, group director of responsible business at Lloyds Banking Group said: '˜We wish everyone the best of luck as they set off on the Great Wall of China trek.

'˜Their commitment to training, fundraising and raising awareness of this important cause sits at the heart of our ambition to help Britain prosper.'

To donate visit justgiving.com/fundraising/ollie-sven1