In September 2020 I will be embarking on a solo bike ride from Brighton, covering 2000 miles around the UK. I will be cycling to the most northerly point on mainland Britain, Dunnet Head in Scotland. Then returning back to Brighton. I will be cycle touring, so I will be carrying everything I need for the trip on my bike and relying on the kindness of others to help me along the way.

During lockdown I rediscovered my love for cycling and have restored my 30 year old bike which I plan to use for this trip. The process of rebuilding this bike, and cycling again has been a massive benefit to my mental health. I want to do something positive and promote good mental health for all through cycling.

I am currently in recovery and I will be using this ride to aid this process. I will be Vlogging all the elements of this project on my Youtube and Instagram pages. I hope that the sharing of my experience will benefit others by starting conversations and destigmatising thoughts on mental health.

I will be raising money for two charities: Rethink Mental Illness and Grassroots Suicide Prevention.

The help that Rethink Mental Illness have provided me on my own recovery journey has been second to none and this support has helped me so much.

The wider work that Rethink as a charity do with lobbying parliament on mental health issues and breaking down stigmas around this is also amazing. I have witnessed first hand the brilliant work they do and with your support I hope we can raise some funds to help them continue this amazing work.

Grassroots is a UK leader in suicide prevention. They help to create safe spaces in our communities for Real Talk about suicide. They support people in our communities to develop the skills and confidence needed to save lives.

They are a small, Brighton based charity with a simple but powerful goal: that no one should have to contemplate suicide alone. They have been a massive support for me during some difficult times.

They work locally and nationally with communities, organisations and individuals, helping them to become ready, willing and able to effectively support someone at risk of suicide, experiencing a mental health problem, or someone who self-harms.

Their training, signposting, and innovation helps save lives by enabling the kind of conversations that can really make a difference. They constantly work to fight the stigma that surrounds suicide/mental health difficulties and encourage help-seeking through our thriving social media community and online presence.

Both charities mean a lot to me on a personal level but also represent what The Acorn Project is trying to achieve through this cycle tour. This is why I have included them both in this fundraising.

Feel free to donate to either or both and help them continue providing support and services to the people that need it the most.

Thanks for your support!

To find out more about The Acorn Project follow the links below:

Instagram

www.instagram.com/the.acorn.project/

Facebook

www.facebook.com/the.acorn.project.23/about/

YouTube

www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Zi48w4VE3RB46xnrxljkQ