INTRODUCTION FROM FOUNDER PAUL 'OXO'
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Like many of you out there coping with the Christmas holiday period can be a real struggle. I hope you managed to get through, thanks to all our team for being available on the peer support group to help those in need. This year was ok (much better than last year) and as an added bonus I got news I was going to be a grandfather which really was exciting. My daughters know me so well and it obviously had to have a Mental Health Motorbike connection - see photo.
It was great to spend New years eve with some of you as we held our first Mental Health Motorbike online party. The music was good, the company great, we had some dancing together and the DJ was very questionable! - but most importantly we had some fun.
As we start 2024 we do so with a real sense of optimism, this year we will work on 4 core areas:
- Training another 500 mental health first aiders
- Attending 200 face to face events across the UK
- Creating more financial stability for the charity
- Building the team (trustees, regional/area coordinators, moderators and MHFA's) so that we have greater capacity
We will consolidate everything we've created over the last 4 years and really build on the longer term plan. We hope you can be part of this journey with us - Paul 'Oxo'
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Three useful QR codes when dealing with us, print them out and share them with relevant people
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This QR code will take you to the main website
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These codes will take you to the peer support group & the members supporters group
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SOME INFOGRAPHICS SHOWING OUR IMPACT IN 2023
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We knew that the Peer Support Group was saving lives as many people tell us, what we didn't know was the level of engagement and just how many people are active on it and using it for support. Check out the infographics on this and others related to training and events
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MY FIRST WEBINAR BY STUART RINGER
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Dangerous Roads by Stuart Ringer
I`ve ridden 120,000 miles around the world and have tackled many of the so called “world’s most dangerous roads” along the way. Yet the hardest road I would travel would be caring for someone that suffered from alcoholism and mental health issues. I looked after Gosia for 9 years and this was without doubt the steepest learning curve of my life. At times I felt as if I was lost in sea of despair, not able to find support from friends who were unable to comprehend what I was doing and what I was going through in trying to help someone I cared for.
Addiction is so misunderstood and I was certainly one of those who underestimated its power when I was first exposed to it; surely you can just stop after a detox, you have some therapy and move on with life? I had much to learn. Gosia lost her fight with addiction on 28th June 2019, she was 41. At times I really thought she had turned a corner, that we had succeeded and she would go on to have a happy life, but regrettably that was not to be. I lost the sister that I never had. Addiction is a cruel disease, one that is so often driven by childhood trauma, which is rarely treated or is so deeply hidden, it either won’t come out or the person finds the pain too great to allow it. At times looking after an addict is soul destroying, its layer upon layer of frustration and hopes being raised, only to fall flat time after time. But when you love that person, you keep pushing forward regardless of the failures.
Gosia`s death was sudden, she had been dry for some weeks after coming out of a psychiatric unit. She drank one night and just didn’t wake up. It broke me, I won’t dress it up, it really did break me. To a point where I did consider taking my own life, I just couldn`t imagine life getting better, I just felt completely numb of all emotions and feelings. But I also knew I could not put my family through the same as I was experiencing, I had to find a way out, a purpose. While in the thick of lock down, I made plans to do another long motorcycle ride, this time from the UK to the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan and back to the UK. But I knew it was not enough to just run away, as you can run as far as you want, but your problems travel with you. I knew that I needed to try to create a legacy for Gosia, to turn the tragedy of her life in to something positive. I decided to ride my bike to raise money for addiction and mental health charities, one being Mental Health Motorbike.
I rode 16,500 miles through 18 countries, in 5 and half months. Traveling along the ancient silk roads of Central Asia and at points being just 50 feet across a river from Afghanistan. When you are in such wilderness especially on a motorcycle, there is a sense of freedom that is only achieved when you are on two wheels, you bond with the land and the road you travel over. You feel the heat, the cold, the dust, every rock in the road, you truly live the journey.
It was a challenging trip, the roads are at times shockingly bad, the driving is “interesting”, the fuel is at times 80 octane, it was up to 46 degrees C and distances of 300 miles between fuel stations. But it was also stunningly beautiful, wild, hospitable, mind explaining and perhaps the greatest road trip you can do. I raised a good few thousand pounds through people’s generosity, which I know will help those that suffer. But there was something that I had never thought about; how helping others, people I will never meet, has helped me heal. To heal the wound of grief.
In creating a legacy for Gosia, I`ve also started the healing process in myself and that is priceless. And did I do one of the world’s most dangerous roads along the way?
Yes, the most dangerous road in the the world... the M25!!
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MENTAL HEALTH MOTORBIKE.....IT IS GETTING YOU TALKING
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I first saw Mental Health Motorbike at the NEC in Birmingham in 2022 and just sauntered past (as you might do) in my eagerness to look at the vast array of very shiny motorcycles on show.
I did keep seeing the name ‘Mental Health Motorbike’ pop up on my various social media platforms and decided to have a look at their website (www.mhmotorbike.com) and haven’t looked back since. I saw their campaign to train 1,000 mental health first aiders by the end of 2024, so in July 2023 I signed up and completed the mental health first aider course in August 2023.
However, the above is not really my message for this newsletter, my message is that I am starting to see very quickly the importance of the work that Mental Health Motorbike are carrying out. That people are seeking us out themselves to come along to talk to us when they know we have a team of volunteers and mental health first aiders in their area and know that we are available to talk to them.
I work alongside a super team as one of the Area Co-ordinators and as a mental health first aider in the Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire & Buckinghamshire areas. We have been so lucky to have been invited to attend to a motorcycle dealership (On Yer Bike) in Aylesbury alongside BikerKaz’s (Karen) coffee & cake events (www.bikerkaz.com) in our capacity as volunteers for Mental Health Motorbike. I should add – whatever you do, do not miss going to chat to Karen and try her delicious cakes.
It was only at our third event (January 2024) at On Yer Bike that I realised that people are seeing posts on social media and now coming to find us because they need help. That step is, more often than not one of the biggest steps they will have taken in a long time and now we know that the assistance/support we are providing is really working. The added attraction of Razzle & Dazzle certainly seems to be a hit with everyone too.
So, if you are a motorcycle dealership, a motorcycle group, biker group, host a venue for bike nights in the Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire & Buckinghamshire areas and you would like us to attend your event to pop along and be available to chat to people please contact me lainey.forman@mhmotorbike.com
Lainey Forman
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MENTAL HEALTH MOTORBIKE LAUNCHES
MHFA COURSES IN WALES
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We are very excited to announce that we are now able to offer an online training programme dedicated to all bikers who live or work in Wales. We are actually running our first few courses right now. So, we would like to introduce our instructor:
“Hi, my name is Ellender Wildey, a freelance Mental Health first Aid Instructor, trained and licensed by both MHFA Wales and MHFA England. I am also a National Trainer for MHFA Wales and their favoured associate trainer.
Throughout my life, compassion and empathy for other people has been of utmost importance to me. I have continually found myself drawn to the needs of people at their most vulnerable, because I know what it feels like when you are totally vulnerable and having someone to help can make the difference sometimes between life and death. To step in and make a difference, to witness the positive changes that can be made when a battle is not fought alone. Standing shoulder to shoulder with someone, to give hope, to reassure, must be one of the most rewarding aspects of life.
I became a MHFA instructor to teach others to have the confidence and knowledge to truly make a difference to lives through support and understanding around mental health and to help challenge stigma. A year ago, I joined Shift Together C.I.C, a mental health community support initiative in South Wales. Amongst other things, I now spend Saturday mornings running our support group on Zoom, providing a safe and confidential haven for people to learn techniques to help them through their life challenges. The results have been quite remarkable.
My chosen mission is to work towards ensuring every community and all workplaces have a network of people who are trained in mental health. So, I am very proud to now be part of MHMotorbike’s vision of training a network of Mental Health First Aiders across Wales to provide support in the biker community.”
I think we would all agree that MHMotorbike and Ellender share a common mission with regard to improving the mental health and wellbeing of the motorbike community in Wales. So, if you would like to take advantage of this new training programme please go to our website (mhmotorbike.com) and click on the Wales training button to learn more about these very flexible courses. Or send an email to mhfawales@mhmotorbike.com for more details.
Come and join us and sign up for a course!
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INEQUALITIES FUNDING GAINED FROM INTERGRATED CARE BOARD
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GREAT NEWS!!! Heidi, Area Co-ordinator for Bristol made an application to the BANES, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (BSW ICB) for a small pot of funding to support delivery of activities in her geographic area of work, specifically Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES).
The funding pot was to be specifically focused on areas of health disparity and inequality, where the funders identified that:
“Health disparities and health inequalities impact on the physical and mental wellbeing and the life chances of the individuals and groups most affected. “ Health Inequalities are avoidable, unfair and systemic differences in health between different groups of people”.
Heidi, Area Co-ordinator said: Whilst it saddens me greatly to lose any individual to suicide, I was aware that 75% of deaths due to suicide are male. To me, this demonstrates a health inequality in need of redress. I hope some of this funding can be used to complement Mental Health Motorbike’s drive to train those in, or associated with, the biking community in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). This funding will be used to specifically train at least 6 individuals in the BANES area.
She continues: Unlike many areas, BANES and Bristol does not have any ‘general’ Biker-focussed meeting venue. I have therefore been working with Bristol Bobbers and Bristol Rocker (with a 10-year history of running Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR)) who have been working hard to secure a venue in the Keynsham, Bristol (BANES) area: ‘Bolts n Brews’. By working together, we are hoping to create a safe, inclusive space for bikers to meet, socialise and gain support where required. (An early event in December 2023, saw approximately 180 bikers turn up)! This suggested to me that such place is needed and wanted.
Whilst we are also looking for other venues in Bath & North East Somerset area to develop and further this approach, some of the funding will also enable some formal and informal health and wellbeing promotion opportunities and talks to maximise mental (and physical) health and wellbeing of those in the local biking community.
Working with Regional Co-ordinators Andy, Tony and Paul, we will doing what we can to ensure Mental Health Motorbike ambassadors and volunteers attend as many local biking groups and meets in the local area as possible. For more information about what is going on, or to get involved:
See our ‘Events Calendar’ section on our Webpage: www.mhmotorbike.com/calendar
In the Bristol and BANES area, please contact:
Heidi Limbert, Area Co-ordinator (Bristol & BANES)
heidi@mhmotorbike.com
Regional Co-ordinators:
Bristol, Somerset and North Somerset Andy Phillips
andy.phillips@mhmotorbike.com
Wiltshire, Hampshire & Berkshire Anthony Reynolds
Anthony.reynolds@mhmotorbike.com
Wales, and Border Counties Paul Sims
Paul.sims@mhmotorbike.com
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SUPPORTING THE TEAM BY LOTTIE PITMAN
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I had the opportunity to support the team by being Admin for a Webinar arranged by Mental Health Motorbike.
This was an online event for people to attend, during the dark winter months. It is something we wanted to do to gauge interest levels with a view to doing more in the future. It was Stuart’s first webinar and Stuart provided a really honest account of his life, his own mental health and personal experiences and his travels on his Motorbike from the UK through to Central Asia.
I felt very honoured to have been part of the webinar, listening to Stuart’s story, at times feeling a tear come into my own eyes. Stuart’s story felt so real. It was a story of sadness, happy times, good days, bad days. Stuart’s talk showed people come into our lives in ways we may never think. Stuart had met someone on his travels, where they travelled some of the adventure together, his friend joined the zoom meeting to listen to the webinar which was extra special. A friendship made across the world and long lasting one.
Seeing the positive comments coming in the chat bar and allowing people to acknowledge their own life experiences with Mental Health was a powerful thing and should definitely be repeated.
The photos he shared were spectacular. The one I liked the most was of the motorbike on one of the most dangerous roads. So much achieved in just over an hour. I’m proud to be part of Mental Health Motorbike and all its achievements and the people we meet along the way.
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INTRODUCING MARK CAMPION
(REGIONAL COORDINATOR GREATER MANCHESTER)
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Hi, I am Mark Campion and I am the regional Coordinator for MHM in Greater Manchester. I have been a biker since the age of 16 and currently ride a Kawasaki Versus SE. I'm looking forward to getting together with all volunteers in the Greater Manchester area within the next few months to spread the MHM word in our area and beyond as well as joining up with Janet in Lancashire for some joint events. See you all soon!!!
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RIVINGTON BARN MEET UP BY JANET ALLSOPP
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Sunday the 7th January myself and area co-ordinator Adam Hennings met with Mark the regional coordinator for Manchester. Together we shared ideas and plans for the coming year as the charities newest coordinators. This was a great meet up over lukewarm coffees with frozen fingers and toes! Exciting times ahead from us northerners. As we were at Rivington Barn, a favourite for bikers in Lancashire, Adam and I spent the afternoon speaking to bikers who were curious about the logo and wanted to learn more. A productive day for the 1st Sunday of the year. Photos curtesy of Hennings Photography (many talents my area co-ordinator).
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MENTAL HEALTH MOTORBIKE RIDING HIGH IN WALES
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Mental Health Motorbike came of age in Wales on the 3rd December following the success of the “launch” event at The Owls Nest in Llandovery.
The weather was not our friend but with the help of Ian Marquis, the owner of this renowned biker café - recently voted UK’s No.1 Biker café - and some awesome friends and supporters the event was a huge success. We enjoyed the company of Dakar Rally finishers Simon Hewitt and Neil Hawker, future Dakar finishers the Searle brothers, inspirational one-armed racer Chris Ganley, Bike World presenter Chris Northover, Aberdare Park Road Races, AMCC Orange Army Race Marshals, former Isle of Man TT racer Jeff Jones aka Slippery Taff and author and long-distance cruiser-rider Ian Gravel, to name but a few.
The numerous Social Media posts and articles in Motor Cycle News covering this event have created a huge buzz and lots of interest in Mental Health Motorbike in Wales. Our team of Welsh MHFA volunteers now comprises 16 enthusiastic local bikers with many more about to join the team. We now have teams in both North and South Wales.
We have also established a separate MHFA Wales training programme for everyone working or living in Wales. Our first course is in January and is already fully subscribed with the February one filling up fast. We are currently translating all our publicity materials into Welsh and getting ready for a very busy and fun 2024.
We are very excited to report that all of this, and more, is possible because we have secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund Wales. We were told that it would take 3 months for our application to be approved but it only took them 3 weeks to fully approve our application with no questions asked! We view this as a very positive endorsement of what we are all seeking to achieve.
We have already committed to holding monthly “chill and chat” meetings at the Owls Nest, Llandovery (1st Sunday of the month) and La Luna Coffee, Bonvilston (1st Tuesday of the month) and are in discussion with other venues to hold similar events. Somewhere for bikers to feel safe and secure.
This is only the start of our ambitions in Wales as we look forward to recruiting more volunteers, training more bikers and finding more wonderful locations and hosts for our social events. So keep a look out for us and come say hello.
If you want to find out more about our plans in Wales or to join us on this exciting journey, then please feel free to send me an email (paul.sims@mhmotorbike.com).
We would love to hear from you!!! Paul Sims Regional Coordinator Wales
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MENTAL HEALTH MOTORBIKE IN SCOTLAND
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2024 is going to be a pivotal year for Mental Health Motorbike in Scotland.
The word is getting out about us and what we are doing within the motorcycle community. I am sure that this year will see Mental Health Motorbike become more and more prevalent north of the border.
Even though the charity has been around since 2020 there have been a few people who have said that there is nothing happening up here. I believe that the slow growth of the charity is a good thing and bodes well for continued success. To increase the reach of the charity too fast would be detrimental to its overall effectiveness as we wouldn't have the people in place to deal with everyone that needed the help. This would be bad for the people who needed us and also bad for the charity.
Scotland is a very individual country with very individual problems. We needed to get all of our ducks in a row to be of any value.
We have an increasing number of amazing volunteers in Scotland and will be in a good place this year to be at more events and be in the position to help more people when they need it.
I you wish to help please email weeble@mhmotorbike.com
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HORIZON, THE POST OFFICE AND ME
BY BOB CANNELL
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While I have no direct attachment to the post office I, like much of the country invested my emotions in Mr Bates v The Post Office but where does the MHM fit in? Previously I found it near impossible to watch contentious programmes, read newspapers, listen to radio phone-ins without the feeling of uncontrollable anger. Arguing with the voice from the radio, screaming at the screen and wondering what moron wrote the article? In truth it wasn't anything to do with what I was looking at or listening to but my overall poor mental health.
Thankfully with assistance from my support network including the Mental Health Motorbike Support Group I have learnt strategies to regulate my emotions. I can now enjoy life because good mental health has a positive effect on everything that we do and feel which was previously denied to me.
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2UP FROM DOWN UNDER
BY LAWRENCE LOBO LEE
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I had the great pleasure to meet Paul Oxborough and his team at Motorcycle Live at the NEC, they were on the next but one stand and I was able to see their hard work and dedication at first hand.
On the 1st February 2024, my wife Linda and I will be setting off to ride our motorbike from Sydney back home to North Wales, we will cover 25,000 miles, through 25 countries over 7 months. Since its inception, we knew that we wanted to use our journey to raise money for a good cause, so we had been actively looking for the right organisation to support. Richard & Jude, our friends joining us on our adventure, live in Sydney and they had chosen Black Dog Ride, an Australian charity that use all things ‘motorbikes’ to raise awareness around mental health and suicide prevention within the biking community in Australia. As soon as I met Paul and we spoke about his personal journey and what MH Motorbike does within the biking community in the UK, I knew I had found both the right person and cause to support.
Black Dog Ride have organised a number of events for us on the Australian leg of the journey and we will be able to talk about the great work Mental Health Motorbikes does here in the UK at those events. Hopefully we can ‘spread the word’, from the Nullarbor Plain in Australia, through the 5000m high passes in China and into Europe. Paul has created something very special in MHM and if we can play even the smallest part in promoting the work you all do, we will be very happy to do so. When we return to the UK in August, Linda and I will be signing up for the course to become MHFAs within our community here in North Wales.
If you want to follow our progress, you can find us at 2upfromdownunder.com
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NORMAN MCKEAG MOMORIAL SHOW
BY ASHLEY KNOWLES (NORTHERN IRELAND)
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A good time was had at the two day “Norman McKeag Memorial Motorbike Show” who were supporting the vital Air Ambulance NI service. A service which bikers are sometimes are greatly thankful for.
Accompanied by Keith, Area Coordinator, and Ian who is showing great interest In assisting at show. It was a great mix of ages attending, all showing interest in our charity. Two very common repeated remarks are:
"I saw you at other events and I’ve never heard of you before"
"It's a much needed charity".
As I get to know stall holders they sometimes asked, keep an eye here for me.
As usual at these small shows in church halls have a great range of bikes from the early 1900’s onwards.
The charity received a lot of praise from the people we met.
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TOM RUTHERFORD MEMORIAL SHOW & AUTO JUMBLE (NORTHERN IRELAND)
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This event was on the 5th of January 2024 at the Queens Hall Community Hall in Newtownards, N.Ireland.
This was the first event to be attended by our recent new Mental Health Motorbike Volunteer, Ian Gregg pictured in the photo. A very warm welcome to the team Ian great to have you onboard
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TO SEE OUR CURRENT TEAM - CLICK ON THE MAP BELOW
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SIGN UP TO DO A FUTURE MHFA COURSE AND BE PART OF THIS LIFE SAVING COMMUNITY
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