In June 2022 I will part of a team taking on a 67miles Trek along the West Highland Way in Scotland from Loch Lomond to Fort William, to raise money for Mental Health UK.

The team will be made up of 30 adventurous colleagues as part of the "Defy the Odds" signature charity events.

The reason I am doing this is simple.

Where I live in Northern Ireland the suicide rate, especially that of the under 18 population, is disproportionately higher than the rest of the UK.

That needs to change!

Nobody, especially a child, should feel that bad about themselves that taking their own life is the only way out.

I have had my own battles with mental health issues over the last decade, and I have experienced the rock bottom lows so I have decided to take action.

As the dad of a young child going through school in NI, I never want him to feel that his mental health doesn't matter or that suicide is the only way.

Because of all of this I want to raise money to support the great work that Mental Health UK do in our local communities through their charity partners as part of the Helping Communities Prosper Programme.

So thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page, and just know that any donation you make will be making such a big difference.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.