Kayla Horton

20 Hours with Kayla!

In order to raise funds for mental health charity 20Talk, I’m taking on the challenge of sitting in a 2-metre square box for 20 hours — with no technology and no talking.

This challenge is a small glimpse into the day of someone struggling with their mental health. For 20 hours, all I’ll have is my own thoughts, a journal, and a chair to sit on.

So, why am I doing this?

As a youth worker, I support young people every day who are navigating anxiety, depression, self esteem issues, and overwhelming pressure from school, social media, relationships, and expectations. I’ve sat with young people who feel unheard, isolated, and exhausted - and I’ve seen first hand how powerful early support, education, and safe conversations can be. Mental health isn’t just something I care about professionally, it’s something I see affecting real lives, real families, and real futures every single day.

This challenge is also deeply personal, as I too have struggled with my mental health since my youth, and I’ve also supported a loved one through their own mental health struggles. I know first-hand how isolating, exhausting, and overwhelming it can feel — both as the person experiencing it and as someone walking alongside it. Those lived experiences are a big part of why I’m taking on this challenge because they’ve shaped my understanding of mental health, the importance of early support, and the need for safe, honest conversations - especially for young people.

We have all been touched in some way by the reality of mental health. It can be dark, lonely, and confronting. And structurally, the statistics are still alarming:

- Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people aged 15–44

- Only 2% of mental health funding goes towards prevention (Mental Health Commission, 2022)

I’m completing 20 Hours for 20Talk to help turn these statistics around. Your contribution supports 20Talk’s relatable, preventative mental health campaigns — a charity that makes education cool, accessible, and relevant, created by young people, for young people.

Your generous donations help fund:

- $120 — puts a young person through a one-day Mental Health Maintenance course

- Expansion of 20Talk’s online resources and their 60,000+ social media community

- Large-scale, interactive mental health events

By improving mental health literacy, breaking down harmful stigma, and encouraging help-seeking early, we can prevent people from reaching crisis point in the first place!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for supporting the cause. Hopefully, this small challenge can help change or even save someone’s life.

And if you ever need a chat, I’m always here. Love you all, and thank you again 🤍