Throughout 2018/19, Mind answered 118,000 queries on their helplines. Out of 15.9 million Mind users, only 118,000 felt comfortable enough to reach out, we want to significantly raise the number of people that feel like they're able to speak out to allow anyone of any age, any gender, any ethnicity and any sexuality to feel like they shouldn't have to suffer in silence. 

The lads carrying out this journey with myself are the most selfless, loving and caring people and I'm honoured to have such a strong team trekking. Any donations are going to contribute to saving lives, therefore you'll be just as much of a part of this as us. We couldn't ever do this without your selfless actions.

This is my story. On the 15th of December 2020, I was in the car with my Dad on the way to Football training. The Cantilever Bridge, which sits above the home of Warrington Town Football club was completely empty apart from one other car in the pure dark; the car was right in front and suddenly slammed the brakes on alarming my Dad and I as a lady rushed out leaving her car door wide open on the middle of the bridge as she urgently sprinted towards the ledge on the bridge. My Dad and I looked at each other utterly confused and worried as we slowly got out the car as we saw the lady holding onto a man over the other side dressed in black from head to toe. He was clearly ready to jump. I remember seeing his arms spread out on the iron of the bridge and the only thing separating this man from ending his whole life was the firm grip of the hero of a woman that wrapped her arms around him and softly spoke to him whilst my Dad called the emergency services. To be fully honest, as a 15 year old boy I was stood there on the bridge watching the events with tears in my eyes desperately trying to fight them back knowing that the man has been able to get to the point where he felt so alone that he couldn't speak to anyone and he felt as if his life wasn't worth living. I held up the traffic so that he wasn't disturbed and put on edge but the lady who saw the man in the first place and spoke him down saved a life that night and it's something that still sticks with me deep in my mind every minute of every hour and that inspired my friends and I to spread the message to let others know that help is everywhere you look, sometimes you just need to talk it out with someone which is often the difference between life or death. 

Had the lady not been there at that exact time circumstances may have been different, that man may have decided to jump into the ship canal beneath him to never been seen again. The man may have had kids waiting for him to get home, it could've been his brother, mother, father or sister who may have not even known the man wasn't going to be home to kiss his kids, dog, girlfriend or wife goodnight that night, or ever again. 

My friends and I are going to walk 320 miles from Warrington Town Football Club to the Emirates Stadium in June after our exams, the home of Arsenal football club, over a 13 day period going from football club to football club along the way because recently Claude Callegari suspectedly took his own life at the age of 58 as a lifelong devoted Arsenal fan. It is thought to have been comments through social media that made Claude, a man with a genuine heart of gold, take his own life.

 As 4 lads who live and breathe football, the start of the journey seemed right to commence at Cantilever Park-which is 100 metres away from where I witnessed the man trying to take his own life, and to end it at the place that meant so much to Claude who remains in the heart of all football fans. 

Sometimes rivalries need to be put aside and we need to check up on others because issues such as mental health and suicide certainly outweigh the abuse and disputes that our beautiful game can lead to. 

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