Globetrotters’ heartfelt cycle challenge raises over £3,000 for Cumbrians bereaved by suicide

A determined group of 20 staff from Cumbria County Council have completed a combined distance of 2,535 miles during September and October, resulting in a global second place in the IASP Cycle Around the Globe challenge.

The council workers – calling themselves the Cumbria Globetrotters – ‘set off’ on 10 September, which marked World Suicide Prevention Day and notched up 2,535 miles before 10 October.  They have raised more than £3,000 for local Cumbrian charity, Suicide Bereavement Support (SBS) by various means including road riding, mountain biking and riding exercise bikes at home; even runners and walkers joined the challenge!

Going the distance in the memory of loved ones

To put it into perspective, the distressing statistic of losing someone each week on average to suicide in Cumbria is greater than those lost to road traffic accidents. Having operated under the wing of national charity Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide for nine years, SBS was founded around a year ago and builds on that experience to focus on offering a truly local service to people living in Cumbria and surrounding areas including North Lancashire and South Scotland. 

SBS usually offers four self-help support groups across Cumbria, where those left behind by suicide can meet with other people in a similar position, although meetings are currently being held virtually due to Covid-19 restrictions.  The groups provide an opportunity to listen, to share, to gain understanding and to connect with others. A helpline service and private forum is also available and is run by volunteers who have been personally affected by suicide.

The Cumbria County Council group were keen to embark on the challenge to draw attention to the prevalence of suicide and the importance of positive mental health and wellbeing; the council have had involvement in the Time to Change initiative, a growing social movement working to change the way we all think and act about mental health problems.  It’s a sad fact that motivation for the Cumbria Globetrotters cycle campaign was due to some of the team losing loved ones to suicide in recent months, relying on organisations such as Suicide Bereavement Support to get through the challenges that bereavement by suicide presents.

Angela Armstrong is a member of the team who has sadly experienced the loss of suicide first-hand: “I lost my nephew Harry Armstrong to Suicide in 2019 when he was 20 years old, so I wanted something positive to come out of a horrible situation and I want Harry to be remembered. I’m not going to lie, I’ve found this challenge hard at times; it’s brought a lot of emotions to the surface.  I’m sad now that it’s over.  Knowing that my colleagues were so passionate about our cause was hugely inspiring and kept me going. The donations that kept coming has been incredibly heart-warming.  I’m so proud to be part of this amazing team.”

If you would like to support the Cumbria Globetrotters, you can still donate via JustGiving.

Support for people touched by suicide

If you are struggling with the death of someone who has taken their own life and need someone to listen to your experience and offer you support, please do get in touch. You can call the SBS helpline on 07572 975 721 (John) or 07896 703 757 (Karan). You can also email hello@sbs.org.uk , or you can visit Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CumbriaSBS.