We were particularly moved when our  university professor’s son passed away last year during lockdown. 

The family and friends are supporting the mental health charity C.A.L.M.  There are many sobering statistics that put the scale of mental health challenges in perspective but one that especially shocked us was that in the UK the single most common cause of death in men under 45 is suicide. 

We (Cambridge almuni - Eddie, Mark, Sunil, Chris, Piers)  decided to do something about it.  We want to raise money to support the charity C.A.L.M. by cycling 270km from Manchester to Cambridge, in association with Cambridge Judge Business School, Quintet Private Bank, Iguana Investment and o2h Ventures (thank you). We also want to play a small part in helping to lift the taboo on talking about mental health, about how we feel, especially when going through challenging moments in our lives – these could be caused by factors like key life events, yet many times there may be no obvious trigger at all – the important thing is to recognise that it is OK to reach out to others even if you struggle to articulate exactly what the problem is.  This could be to friends, family but sometimes it may be easier to speak to someone you don’t know, a professional and that is where CALM comes in.

The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide, the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK. Anyone can hit crisis point. CALM run a free and confidential helpline and webchat 7 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone who needs to talk about life's problems.

Many of us have experienced mental health challenges. In fact 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England.  It’s important to remember… you’re not alone.