Keen cyclists are taking on the challenge of riding from John O’Groats to Lands End to help a male suicide prevention charity.

The team, all from Epping Forest and Harlow will set off on Saturday and hope to average 120 miles a day, climbing 50,000 ft, with the aim of finishing in Lands End on June 22.

They will be riding in aid of the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), which works to prevent male suicide, the biggest killer of men in the UK under 45. The cyclists talk about their own feelings towards this.

One rider, David Martin, said: “As men we are not great at showing a weakness or opening up, but once you do start talking it’s amazing the support you get. We want to show other men it’s ok not to be ok.”

The cyclists will be in the saddle for seven to eight hours a day, and describe how the journey will help their own mental health.

Another rider, David Couldridge, said: “Spending so long each day in the company of friends give us time to chat about life, something that men are not very good at and we want to get the message out there that it’s ok to talk.”

A local business, Raven’s Budgens of Abridge, has pitched in to help.

Cyclist Goran Raven said: “I’m really excited to be on this journey with friends for an amazing charity and am proud that Raven’s Budgens can support them with some custom kit.”

CALM offer support for vulnerable people through online and phone channels, dealing with an average of 5,000 calls per month, and preventing in excess of 250 suicides per year. To learn more, you can go to: https://www.thecalmzone.net

To find out more about the cyclists and their epic journey, you can visit

www.menvmiles.co.uk

If you feel that you would like to support the cyclists in their bid to raise money for CALM, you can visit the Just Giving Donation Page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/menvmiles2019