My name is Christopher Mills

On the 20th August 2011, a close friend of mine made the decision to take his own life. His name was Michael Hammond.

I was on a BMX tour in Scotland at the time, achieving one of my biggest dreams, I was high on life! From the moment I heard what happened, everything changed.

It took me a long time to confront my own mental health. I kept myself distracted from it for years, struggling with questions in the back of my mind. Why did Michael choose to do it? How and why has mental health become such an epidemic?

Last year I decided I didn't want to sit back and do nothing anymore. I got together with Michael's friends to create a video that shared our story of loosing someone to suicide and the impact it can have:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPqqijHU0Po&t=4s

Since then I have been working towards dedicating more of my time to raising awareness through a project called New Beginnings. New Beginnings will produce video's that challenge our current outlook on mental health and work towards a full length documentary uncovering the issues that many of us are facing.

I want to pick up where I left off in 2011, get back on the BMX and do what I can to keep raising awareness so I will be traveling from John'O Groats to Hastings from the 1st of August to the 19th August, ending it at the BOYLEY jam in Hastings. The ride is dedicated to Michael Hammond, to help raise awareness in his name, R.I.P.

Follow the journey on :

Facebook - www.facebook.com/NewBeginningsMovement

Instagram - @newbeginningsmovement

Twitter - www.twitter.com/NewBeginningsMH