I was surprised to receive an email telling me that I have won blogger of the year with HealthUnlocked for my blog www.looneychickblog.co.uk.

Before now, I have never won anything, and this was a lovely surprise, especially on the day before Mental Health Day. Yesterday, I went to the surgery for blood tests, and I came out late due to my name not registering on their system.

My Dad, who was waiting in my car told me that someone had reversed into my car and attempted to drive off and run over my Dad down when Dad ran after him.

We took the car over to a garage and they quoted £500 worth of damage as I will need a new headlight and the paintwork and bumper will need re-spraying.

When I rang my insurance, I was annoyed to hear that if they do the work and recover the costs, I will lose my no claims!

How is this fair?

I then had to chase the hit and run driver’s insurance company, and they are getting in contact with their client before letting me know. More waiting!

Rant over; let’s get back to the point on what it means to become an award-winning blogger!

After all that drama, I came home to an email saying that I had won the Health management blogger of the year award.

I sat staring at my computer for a few minutes in total shock, and my initial thoughts were “Was this a wind-up?”

Then I shouted to my parents who were sitting eating their lunch downstairs and asked them to double-check the email.

They confirmed that I was an award-winning blogger.

I started the Looneychick blog last October, documenting real-life experiences of mental health to help stamp out the stigma, raise awareness, and to fight for better mental health diagnoses and treatments.

At first, I didn’t have the confidence to share my life story, but I was encouraged by my father who told me that he thought I could make a difference.

Did I ever think that I would win the Health management blogger of 2017?

No way, if you said this to me even when I found out that I was shortlisted, I never in a million years believed that I would win.

I was shocked to be nominated.

According to the office of National Statistics with 1 in 4 people in the UK suffering from mental health and statistics looking to get worse over the next ten years, something drastic needs to be done.

Many people are talking about mental health and glamorising it, but no one understands it until they live with it and this is an issue that is real and is life-threatening.

More and more people are taking their own lives, and more needs to be done to reduce the suicide rate throughout the country.

I started this blog to make a difference, not just talk the talk like the British media.

The most important thing is that I can provide open and honest advice and help to inform and inspire people who deal with mental illness.

Plans for the Looneychickblog in the next 12 months

I have so many ideas for this blog, and I’m bringing out a YouTube channel which I hope guest YouTubers will join me on.

I would also like to step up the content and continue to deliver high-quality content and win more awards.

I would also like to become an ambassador for Mind or Heads Together and become an influential voice for fighting mental health stigma and getting accessible diagnosis and treatments for all regardless of how much money they have.

If anyone has anything that they would like me to cover or they wish to collaborate with me, please email admin@looneychickblog.co.uk.

I would like to thank everyone who reads the blog, all my social media followers, the judges at HealthUnlocked, and everyone who voted for the Looneychickblog and for me as blogger of the year 2017.