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We are fundraising for three incredible charities that are all close to our hearts and with which many of us have a direct personal connection. We have all been touched by the extent of mental health conditions amongst friends and family and have been equally as shocked by the alarming suicide rate, particularly in young men. This year we have committed to support Andysmanclub which is a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free to attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. We want to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation. #ITSOKAYTOTALK

The latest ONS figures which show that the suicide rate in England rose 6% from 2022, the first substantial rise since 2018. Men account for 75-80% of deaths by suicide. In England and Wales, men die by suicide at a rate 3 times more often women. Nearly 12 men lose their lives to suicide every day, or approximately 4,200 suicides each year. The causes are often complex and will vary from one person to another although we know many are still feeling the seismic effects from the pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis is continuing to have a devastating impact on society.

Andysmanclub takes its name from Andrew Roberts, a young man who sadly took his own life aged 23 in early 2016. Andy’s family had no inkling that he was suffering or struggling to the extent that he would do this, and as a result looked deeper into male suicide and men’s mental health. They soon discovered that male suicide is the biggest killer of men under 54, with male mental health surrounded by well-ingrained cultural stigma in the UK.

Elaine Roberts and Luke Ambler, Andy’s Mum and Brother-in-Law, came up with the idea of Andysmanclub, a group where men aged 18 and above can speak openly about their mental health in a judgment-free, non-clinical environment. Groups now operate nationwide and are completely volunteer-led, with all group facilitators having first interacted with Andysmanclub when they came through the door as a service user.

These are some of the reasons that drive us all to help those that need our help the most and to do our utmost that others will have the benefit of the amazing support Andysmanclub provide when life throws out these challenges. We cannot tell you that the causes that we are fundraising for are any more important that any of the other amazing causes that you may be asked to support. However, what we can promise you is that your donations, however large or small, WILL make a real difference to those who need our help the most.

Since we began this journey, we have raised over £210,000 for GOSH and St David’s Hospice Care in 8 years and cycled nearly 4,000 miles through France, over the Pyrenees and across Spain to the most southerly point in Portugal. We start again on 28th April in Italy with a challenging 320 mile coast to coast route from Pisa to Rimini with over 30,000 ft of climbing over the Apennines, in the hope that we can get close to an ambitious target of £250,000 by the time we get to Rimini on 2nd May.

These causes are all particularly personal to us as a team, but we know that these amazing charities cannot provide the vital support to children with complex needs and their families without your support.

We are completely self-funded so all of your donations go straight to our charities. If you are able to, please do support us, every little helps and I know that your donations will make an incredible difference to those that need it most.

Thank you