Matt, Finn and Eddie - fundraising for elop
Matt, Finn & Eddie are cycling 100 miles for LGBTQ+ mental health #exercise4elop #RideLondonEssex100
Fundraising for elop - LGBT Mental Health and Wellbeing
Story
elop is an incredibly special charity – for over 28 years it has provided low cost "pay what you can" therapy to LGBTQ+ people, allowing hundreds of thousands to access safe, welcoming, affordable mental health care when they might otherwise not have been able to. elop also provides free youth groups and other wellbeing services, and offers the only LGBTQ+ affirmative Counselling Skills course in the UK.
LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately affected by poor mental health. Discrimination, social isolation, fear, a history of persecution, and the trauma of not being able to live authentically has inflicted deep wounds on members of our community. So many friends of ours have been affected by anxiety or depression – and been supported by elop in their time of need.
As a small, specialist charity, run by and for the queer community, elop punches above its weight. But funding is tight and demand for elop's services is increasing due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and an increasingly hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people in the UK.
That's why, as part of elop's annual #exercise4elop challenge, we've pledged to each ride 100 miles in under eight hours for the Ford Ride London-Essex 2024 cycling challenge on Sunday 26 May 2024. With your help, we can ensure that elop can continue to provide vital services to those who need it most.
The Ford RideLondon-Essex 100 is one of the UK's most famous cycle rides, beginning in central London and then heading out through the London boroughs of Westminster, City of London, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Redbridge, before going north towards Essex via Epping Forest and passing through towns such as Epping, Ongar and Great Dunmow.
The three of us have different levels of cycling experience, but managing 100 miles in less than eight hours will be a challenge for us all! We'll post updates on this page, and you can also follow our training in preparation on Strava:
Join us in taking action for LGBTQ+ mental health by donating to our cause and helping us to meet our target of £1,000 raised each. Together, we can make a difference and support elop's vital, life-saving LGBTQ+ mental health services!
