Introduction
(by Paul Oxborough)
Welcome to our July 2022 Newsletter.
I think we’ve all enjoyed the recent warm spell and the opportunities this has given us to get out on our bikes, but at times it has simply been too hot! I know for some of you this is now a distant memory.....but heat for us bikers always creates a dilemma, how to manage our safety and the heat and also wear good protection! Constantly a juggling act to get right. This translates to many other aspects of our life that when we get them wrong our mental health is affected.
- Work/life balance
- Drinking/eating
- Family versus friends
- Spending on myself/house
- Social life or helping children
All areas that create potential pinch points in our relationships. Keeping the seesaw in balance is an art form, and for many of us very difficult.
We hope that the support you get from the Mental Health Motorbike online peer support group helps you with this, and this month we are asking for feedback of how the team and community has supported you over the last few weeks or months. We also want to know what we can do better.
Please give us some feedback by clicking on this 2 minute survey.
https://forms.gle/sTifMiAryfZCHYHX9
Have a great summer everyone, hopefully see you at an event, and remember we are here to listen, to support and to ride. |
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If you would like to get involved with us at an event, please contact :
events@mhmotorbike.com
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Events and activities update: after this weekend's Mentell Event, we will have completed 58 events this year.
Getting out and about is a real highlight for the team, but it can be a real challenge logistically. If you'd like to become part of an events sub team helping to organise this more effectively please drop us a message on:
events@mhmotorbike.com
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Great news!!! We finally have a new shop up and running selling some great Mental Health Motorbike merchandise. We apologise prices have had to go up, but hopefully it won't put you off too much. All profits from the shop help keep the charity running
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WEEBLE'S WORLD
It was bike night, and Dog realised that it's not what you ride it's that you ride. He also realised that riders were all different but everyone has a common respect for each other.
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We need your support to keep the charity running, can you give a few pounds each month? click on the link of QR code below ...
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TEAM PINK - FUNDRAISER BIKE RIDE
SATURDAY 4TH JUNE 2022
(by Louise Williamson)
What a great ride out! & what an amazing donation of over £300 from Team Pink.
Thank you to the organisers for choosing our charity, and thank you so much for organising such a fabulous ride out around the beautiful Derbyshire countryside. It is so good to see so many like minded bikers riding together to raise money for great charities, what an amazing achievement.
We look forward to working with you at future events.
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Triumph Hinckley
Worlds Largest Female Biker Meet
World Record
Sunday 24th July 2022
Wowzar!!
We smashed the world record for the largest number of female bikers meeting in one place, an experience of a lifetime.
To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, as I’m fairly new to biking, and was a little bit nervous of pulling in and parking in such a big crowd. No need to be, as such a well organised event and everyone was so respectful of each other, as we pulled in and were channelled in the road leading to the official “world record counters” (under an arch, like the London Marathon). You could tangibly feel the pride we all had arriving to take place in a world record - queuing 4 abreast down a narrow entrance road, with female bikers as far as the eye could see, the noise of bikes and everyone smiling at each other – what an amazing and emotional experience, the atmosphere was electric!
My aim was to find our Mental Health Motorbike stand. Again, not sure what to expect, as we had only contacted the organisers a couple of weeks before and they went all out to allocate us a stand with just a few days’ notice. And what a great spot we had, with our stand providing a quiet safe space for people to come and chat.
What a lot of people approached us to find out what we are about or to share their own life experiences. I saw one of our volunteers with one visitor for over an hour, and we know how much such conversations help individuals. I personally met ladies I have been in touch with online and made some fantastic contacts with individuals. As I said to my friends, it isn’t all one way, we as volunteers find the conversations as rewarding as those we are supporting – it’s all about the human connection.
Here's to many more events, and whilst they may not all be world records, it’s all about making a difference in people’s lives, and we certainly did that this weekend.
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NEW MENTAL HEALTH MOTORBIKE TRUSTEE ALERT!!!
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Let us introduce Karen Cole who is a new trustee for the charity (we will explore what this entails in a future newsletter). Karen recently did her mental health first aid training and here she talks about it...
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Mental Health First Aid training: Karen’s story
As the Director of Safety and Training for the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA), Karen Cole is focused on improving safety for bikers in all aspects. As part of that work, Karen recently completed a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training course with the charity Mental Health Motorbike.
Here, Karen tells me why this kind of training is so important for the biking community, what she learned on the course and how it has helped her.
Tell us about the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and your role?
MCIA represents in excess of 90% of the supply side of the industry; the manufacturers and importers of Powered Two Wheelers (PTWs) and other L-Category vehicles, accessory and component suppliers and companies providing associated services.
My role is all about trying to keep riders safe on the road, whether that’s at the equipment level by working with manufacturers or on the road by working with riding instructors, industry bodies and the Government.
Why did you personally want to do the MHFA training?
I was working on a strategy about the human benefits of biking; motorcycling is great for mental and physical health, people feel better after going out on their bikes.
While I was researching these wellbeing benefits, I came across Mental Health Motorbike and thought the MHFA courses they offer sounded like a great idea and fitted in with the kind of work I was doing.
How important is MHFA training for the motorcycle industry right now?
I think it’s important for everyone, particularly the motorcycle industry – I want to spread the word and get everyone in the industry to take this course. Given the demographic of most people who take their own lives, and the correlation this has within our industry, it can only be a good thing to have this training embedded within our community.
How did you find the course?
I really enjoyed the learning materials, and I thought the MHFA manual was fantastic. The manual has everything you need to know and you can find the information easily.
The instructor Andy has such a great way of delivering the course in a professional and friendly manner.
What did you learn on the course that really stood out to you?
I was amazed by how simple it is to help someone. I think people worry about remembering everything, but to make a difference is very simple. The standout lesson for me was learning how to spot the signs of someone in a desperate state. I now feel confident that I would be able to help someone with their mental health and be able to signpost them to other services for further support.
What has been your experience since becoming a Mental Health First Aider?
I have already started putting it into practice.
After I did the course I have since spoken to someone who had recently experienced suicide on a personal level, I spoke with him and afterwards he told me that he had found it helpful to talk to someone who understands.
How has doing the training changed you?
The MHFA training has made me more confident when talking to people about their mental health.
Knowing how many people are affected by poor mental health and what the signs are has also cleared a lot of grey areas for me and lifted a weight that has sat on my shoulders for 20 years.
Now, when I look at the people around me, I feel like I can tell if they might be slipping down that slope into mental ill health, and I know I can say the right things to help. It’s changed my outlook and made me realise that more people are prepared to help and listen, so I’m more inclined to open up as well.
What difference has Mental Health Motorbike made among the motorcycle community?
I know a lot of people in the biking community – more and more of them know about Mental Health Motorbike, and they all have only positive things to say.
They are fantastic people doing brilliant work. Bikers are a very supportive community – we’ll always stop and try to help if we spot a fellow biker in trouble at the side of the road – and Mental Health Motorbike are a great addition, they fit in perfectly with that ethos. Riders help riders, it’s just what we do.
What advice do you have for someone considering the MHFA training?
Even if you’re not sure, just try it because it becomes so interesting and engaging. Anyone who cares anything about other people will get something from doing the MHFA course.
It changes the way you think about things, in a good way, and makes you more inclined to be kind because you understand more about how easily you can damage someone’s self-esteem and that lots of people are struggling without necessarily showing it.
It’s so easy to react when someone appears to be behaving in a certain way, but the course really makes you think about being kinder and more tolerant. It helps you to think about what another person might be going through, and even if someone is seemingly always happy or you’ve known them for a long time, you don’t necessarily know what demons they’re facing.
Would you recommend the training with Mental Health Motorbike, and why?
Absolutely – anyone who’s interested in bikes and people will get so much from it. If you can possibly do it, then do it.
How do you rate the Mental Health Motorbike training?
Whatever the highest score is – that’s what I rate them!
To deliver a course like this with care and compassion and get all the core messages across via Zoom is amazing. I want to encourage more people to do it and I’m going to make it my mission to spread the word.
If you’re a member of the biking community and want to learn more about how to support others who may be experiencing poor mental health and have a positive impact on the wellbeing of the whole community, please sign up to our MHFA1000 campaign! Visit the Mental Health Motorbike website.
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Why not sign up to do a future MHFA course...
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