On Saturday 26 June, a local group of friends will be walking the entirety of the Sandstone Trail to raise money for mental health charity, Mind.

Mind provides support for anyone who is experiencing a mental health problem, campaigning to improve services and promote understanding of the struggles we can all face at certain points in our lives.

The Sandstone Trail fundraiser challenge has been organised by Ian Savage, who wants to raise awareness of the mental health challenges that affect men in particular, by getting together with his friends to "walk, talk and support."

Ian and his friends have already raised £2,374 for the cause, with local singer-songwriter, Mark Bleasdale, releasing a new single in its honour.

"Left alone with our mind"

"This pandemic has given us all a different look on life as we knew it," Ian says. "We have literally all gone in a different direction while being restricted on who we could see or speak to.

"I was involved with all the WhatsApp groups and quizzes to try and keep in contact with my friends and family. Most of these are just snippets of time in one day though.

"The rest of the time we are left alone with our mind and what's spinning around in it. I suppose I was lucky as I could go to work and leave the house and had my own little family to occupy myself.

"But I would often sit and think about my friends who didn't. And even those who did: were they coping well in themselves?

"This is when I was introduced to Mind, the mental health charity. I watched an interview on TV with a physiologist talking about men of my age and the mental health issues they face. I could instantly relate to this.

"I have had my dark times over the years and only one person knows that I came close to suicide once myself.

"I have kept this to myself for the shame of it. But over the years I have managed to fight my demons and get to a good place.

"Mind is an amazing charity who help men with these difficulties. With the highest suicide rate for men being at our age we felt we needed to speak out.

"What's tough is admitting you need help and being open to talk.

"So as a group we wanted to promote this charity and highlight that you're not alone in these weird times. Yes the donations have been amazing and it all goes to the charity, but our main objective was to unite as a group and support each other.

"So this is where "Walk, Talk and Support" came from. I set this challenge out and got an overwhelming response - everyone wanted to be involved.

"I ran this route a few years ago when I had an element of fitness and know how hard this challenge is. So listening to everyone at first saying we can go a few pubs on the way and think it was just going to be a stroll was funny to hear!

"This quickly disappeared when the training started and the realism of the distance became obvious. But these boys have put the training in each week, going out in groups and individually to push themselves in preparation for the 26 June.

"There have been doubts in a lot of minds as to whether they can complete the distance. But this is where the talking and supporting will bring us across the finish line.

"We start walking from Whitchurch at 6am. Hopefully, come 5pm, 18 men will be walking down Church Street heading towards the Sandstone trail monument at The Bears Paw.

"We will be in pain but will have the biggest smiles and will be proud of each and every one of us. This is a lifetime achievement for everyone involved and will inspire us to do more for each other in the future."

If you would like to donate to the Walk, Talk Support fundraiser, please visit Ian's JustGiving page.

'Here I Am'

Also taking part in the Sandstone Trail challenge is local musician, Mark Bleasdale, who has written a song about his own emotions to kick-start some constructive conversations about men's mental health.

Entitled 'Here I Am', the single will be released on all platforms on June 23, with all proceeds being donated to Mind.

"The subject of mental health, and in particular the stigma attached to it, is a subject I feel strongly about," Mark explains. It's my opinion that mental health should be viewed and talked about just like any other health issue.

"If you take a person who has a sore shoulder, they wouldn't hesitate to mention it to a friend, but if they are feeling down or anxious then more often than not people won't share the issue in fear of being labelled.

"I stopped writing music around 10 years ago as I was struggling with a fear of failure and anxiety around it.

"However, being a father now I felt it would be impossible for me to encourage my children with conviction if I didn't start back doing what made me happy!

"So here I am back writing music and looking forward to playing live. I'm not expecting to be the rock 'n' roll star I wanted to be in my twenties but I still feel that my music has its place.

"Writing about this subject in a song that allows people to have an insight into my personal life is a little daunting. However, music has always been my therapy so putting my thoughts to music works for me.

"I was asked if it bothered me writing about the subject and my honest reply was "I'm more concerned about this bloody walk!" 34 miles in one day is definitely going to be my biggest physical challenge to date!

"I have had some really positive messages from friends who have taken inspiration from seeing me make music again after such a long break and hopefully the song will inspire people to also talk about their mental health.

"The money raised through donations and hopefully the sales of this single will all go towards helping Mind continue their vital work.

"The single is out on June 23 and you can pre order it now on iTunes and Amazon Music. You can also donate via the JustGiving page ahead of our 34-mile trek."

Just type 'Here I am' in the comments section of the JustGiving page and Mark will send you your copy of the single when it is released!