It’s a Sunday afternoon and, in the Peak District, a group of 23 people from Lincolnshire have just climbed Mam Tor.
They are all here, at the summit of this 517 metre hill, for one reason: they have all been seeking support for their mental health.
Last August Gareth Morrison, a welder from Barton-upon-Humber, founded a local walking group to help those looking to improve their mental well-being.
They started off as simple fortnightly strolls on a Sunday morning around his North Lincolnshire home town. Now, though, they have grown into something completely different: the group now travels to different parts of the country to take on more demanding hikes.
Like this Sunday – on Mam Tor.
“It all came through discussions when we’ve been walking,” says Morrison, “I put a date on the Facebook page, said we’re doing a trip to Mam Tor, and if you’re interested leave a comment. That’s how we did it, and we had around 40 people.
“They’re all different ages. Like, some people made it up there brilliantly, doing a really good job. And people who never thought they’d make it up there did it. The walks gave them the confidence to do that, and everyone’s helping each other out.”
The next trip now in the works is one to Malham Cove in the North Yorkshire Moors.
“I just put it out on social media, and if there’s more than 50 people interested, I’ll put a bus on,” says Morrison.
The 45-year-old has had quite the year.
In the space of just four days, he won the Barton Town Award – given by the local town council – recognising the good work of his group. Then, he walked 50 miles in 18 hours on the Woldsman Walk, raising money for suicide prevention initatives, as well as the British Heart Foundation. In total, he made £3,698.
“I was buzzing,” he says. “It’s never been about personal awards, but I’ve helped people and I was made up, really. I’m so proud of myself…Those four days were the best of my life.”
Adrian Ellis was the man who initially put Gareth forward the town award.
It came from a simple post on the group’s Facebook page, which has more than 900 members.
“I put Gareth forward because mental health and suicide awareness is something that I promote,” says the 64-year-old. “We lost my son, George just over five years ago. So, I know how important it is, and I know how important the outdoors is in terms of people’s mental health and checking in with people.”
He likes Morrison’s group because of its relaxed approach. “People can just turn up and if a conversation starts, who knows where it will go?” he says.
Mr Ellis himself started the ACE Lived Experience project following the loss of his son, who was 24 and had served in the British Army. It raises awareness for mental health and suicide prevention. “After we lost him, I said straight away that I needed to do something,” he says. “I could have chosen a fight or flight path. And I chose to fight. To raise awareness, especially in young men.”
And for Morrison, what’s next now? “I want people to get wind of it, get people doing it in different towns and cities, and, really, promote it as much as I can.”
