I’m Matt Colley, although most people know me as Colo (rhymes with ‘follow’). I live in Norwich, Norfolk, and I’m a passionate advocate of reducing stigma and facilitating discussion around mental health, wellbeing and inclusivity.

During August I cycled more than 600 miles as part of former North Norfolk MP Sir Norman Lamb’s campaign to raise funds for youth mental health in Norfolk, and I raised over £3,000 in the process. By the end of the month, I had lost more than a stone in weight and noticed a substantial improvement in my mental and physical health.

I started thinking about how I might be able to continue the positive routine that I had developed around my cycling, while also raising more funds and more awareness around mental health and wellbeing in Norfolk.

Having struggled with my own mental health for more than 20 years, I am keenly aware of the vital role that exercise can play in mitigating the effects of depression and anxiety. It therefore seemed natural to try to set a longer-term goal that would require a lot of grit and determination to achieve.

I think it’s vital that we strive to make Norfolk a more inclusive, open and understanding place. As well as raising vital funds, I also want to raise awareness, and find out how else I might be able to help to aid mental health provision and inclusivity in the county.

I’m really keen to speak with any charitable organisations who might benefit from the exposure, and I’m also happy to speak with anyone who might like to meet with me. I'm planning to cycle through every single village in Norfolk during my campaign, so if you’d like me to stop for a chat and a cuppa in your village, or if you'd like to ride alongside me one day, please let me know.

The five organisations for which I'm raising money are as follows:

Norwich City Community Sports Foundation (communitysportsfoundation.org.uk)

Norfolk and Waveney Mind (norfolkandwaveneymind.org.uk)

Sir Norman Lamb Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund (norfolkfoundation.com/giving-philanthropy/mental-health)

Norwich Soup Movement (facebook.com/soupysalvation)

The 12th Man (12th-man.org.uk)

These are all fantastic organisations that are already conducting valuable work around the county; every single penny that I raise (minus the fees taken by Justgiving) will be divided equally between these five charitable causes.

Please visit my webpage at edidit.co.uk/5000colo, and if you'd like to be involved in the campaign in any way then drop me an email at colofivethousand@gmail.com.

You can also follow me on social media: facebook.com/5000colo, instagram.com/5000colo, twitter.com/5000colo.

And finally, a big thanks to my sponsors: Egg Cup Web Design (a great local web design company) and Bicycle Links (a brilliant social enterprise cycle shop).

See you on the road! :)