This is a charity close to home for me and if I can help just one person reading this right now, it will all be worth it.

I consider myself to be a strong, optimistic, positive individual. I'm a son, eldest brother, father and husband.... but mental health issues do not discriminate! I found this out the hard way.  We need to learn to communicate our fears and worries with our loved ones, and not feel that it is not the "manly" thing to do to share our feelings.  I am speaking from experience of being that person that found themselves in a very scary, dark place in my life, I woke up one day and my life had spiraled out of control, I didn't see it coming and in that moment, couldn't see a way out of what was happening.   I was one of the lucky ones, that listened when I was told to talk to someone, it wasn't comfortable or easy, but I found help and can now say it changed me and saved my life.

We all have mental health and we need to look after it as, just as we would our physical health. Yet every year, 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem. Thats hundreds of football players, and thousands of football fans. Mind and the English Football League (EFL) have joined forces to raise awareness of mental health, to improve the approach to mental health in football, and to raise funds to deliver life changing support.I'm joining the EFL in the Mind United: Trek the Peak District challenge to help ensure no one has to face a mental health problem alone.