A North Lincolnshire welder has started Good to Talk Walks – strolls in which participants are encouraged to chat about their mental health.
Gareth Morrison, from Barton-upon-Humber, is tackling the taboo topic in what he hopes will be a collaborative and physically healthy way.
The 44-year-old said: “One evening I just thought I’d test the idea out by posting it on Barton Voice [a local Facebook group], and then people started sharing it. We had 25 people at the first walk, and 55 at the most recent.”
The walks take place every second Sunday and – to add to the sense of community – always begin and end in either a local cafe or pub. This also helps local business, Mr Morrison said.
He added that the initiative had brought together people of all ages and from all backgrounds, with whole families often coming along and joining in.
It comes as mental health issues and associated struggles are causing increasing concern across the region. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows Yorkshire and the Humber – which includes Barton – had the biggest increase in suicide rates last year with 13.7/100,000 deaths – a 1.5 increase from 2023.
Specifically, in North Lincolnshire, some 27 people took their own lives in 2025 compared to 15 the previous year.
Mr Morrison, himself, will be doing The Woldsman Walk in April next year to raise money for suicide awareness and the British Heart Foundation. As part of that he will be challenged to walk 50 miles in under 20 hours.
- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
