A rugby teacher at Barnard Castle School faces an arduous month ahead, all in the name of fundraising for a mental health charity.
Each day in June will find Joe Pickering running, rowing or cycling the equivalent of nine miles, with every step, stroke or pedal revolution helping support Mind.
“Mind is a fantastic charity which provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing mental health issues, while campaigning to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding nationwide,” said Pickering.
The former Barnard Castle pupil cited figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as helping provide the impetus for his undertaking the endeavour.
According to the ONS, 5,224 people in England and Wales took their own life in 2020, while one in four people experienced difficulty with their mental health.
“The statistics from the ONS highlight the struggles that people in all walks of life face every day, which inspired me to create this fundraising challenge,” he explained.
“Hopefully, by completing this distance each day for 30 days, I can raise even more awareness about mental health and support a worthy cause in the process.”
Anyone wishing to support the challenge can visit the teacher’s GoFundMe page here.
Pic: Barnard Castle School sports teacher, Joe Pickering, gets in training for the challenge
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