Mental health on track will see couple run for 24 hours on Shobnall Leisure Complex athletics track

The Mental Health on Track event will raise awareness and vital funds for mental health charities for young people.

Kicking off at 5pm on Friday 29 August, the duo hope to run 4km every hour to raise awareness about the importance of mental health, especially the pressures young people face when receiving exam feedback and results. They expect to cover a massive 96km during the challenge.

Supporting the event on the track, the Everyone Active team who operate Shobnall Leisure Complex in partnership with East Staffordshire Borough Council are always keen to encourage healthy conversations around mental health.

Alex Barton, Everyone Active’s general manager at the site said: “Mental health awareness is important across our community and if we can make a small contribution in offering the track for the Mental Health on Track event, then it has been worth it.”

Cllr Paul Walker, the Cabinet member for Tourism and Cultural Development, said: “It is great to hear

about the efforts of local people such as Kelly and Connor and we wish them luck in their challenge. Our leisure centres are proud to support our communities in causes such as this and raising awareness of such an important issue.”

Kelly and Connor will be raising awareness for #smile4helena during the challenge - a local campaign they have set up alongside Glen and Sharron Markey to raise awareness about the importance of mental health awareness in schools following the loss of Kelly’s friend Helena to suicide in 2015. They have set up a petition asking the Government to mandate schools to ensure parents/carers are notified if a pupil becomes distressed when receiving exam results, feedback or when discussing future career options. You can sign the petition at: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/727657

The 24-hour track event will also raise vital funds for the suicide prevention organisation, Papyrus. The charity operates HOPELINE247 - a free-phone line for young people in crisis which is currently under threat due to limited funding.

Members of the community are welcome to come along and show their support at Mental Health on Track, running or walking a few laps or more with the team, and donating to charity.

Kelly has taken on a number of endurance challenges for Papyrus since 2017, raising £8,000 for suicide prevention with the support of family, friends, colleagues and campaigners, but admits this will be the toughest to date.

“I’ve run a marathon, completed an Olympic triathlon despite not being able to ride a bike on starting training, and taken on a 35-mile ultramarathon… but the 24 hour event is completely different.

“I’m not quite sure how the sleep deprivation will go or how not eating full meals will make us feel. The evening start will be challenging but I’m hoping people will come along and support us into the night.”

You can support the fundraising for Papyrus at: www.justgiving.com/page/smile4helena