Best-selling author and illustrator Charlie Mackesy has teamed up with the Samaritans to send a positive socially-distanced message to travellers on Blue Monday.
The charity’s volunteers are usually out and about across the rail network today - which is regarded as one of the hardest days for people’s mental health - running their Brew Monday campaign encouraging people to take time out with friends or family.
But Covid restrictions means the usual operation has had to be replaced and Mackesy, whose book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was a huge bestseller, has come up with a new illustration that will be seen on big screens across the country including Waterloo station.
He said: "I’m happy to be able to share the Mole with Samaritans for Brew Monday. I hope people will see the drawing and consider sharing their own virtual piece of cake and a nice cup of tea with someone close to them. It has been a hard year for a lot of us and talking and being with loved ones means so much more to us now.”
His book has sold over 1.4 million copies since it was published in 2019 and spent 55 weeks on the bestsellers list.
Samaritans CEO Julie Bentley said: “We’re so grateful to Network Rail and the rail industry for their support of Brew Monday this year. The challenges that many people face during this season have been felt even more acutely this year with the pandemic restrictions. At Samaritans, we know how powerful talking and listening, even if it is virtually, can be. It doesn’t have to be a Monday or a cup of tea, it’s about taking the time to really listen and supporting one another, which could potentially save a life.”
