Help super fundraiser and SBS member Alex meet his fundraising target!

Ulverston man who lost his wife to suicide is giving back to the community with a targeted sponsored bike ride raising thousands of pounds for local mental health support charities. Support him here.

On Saturday 12 September 2020, SBS Cumbria member Alex Hutt completed a 150-mile cycle across the country from Walney to Whitby with a group of seven friends. With three weeks to go before the end of his fundraising drive, he now hopes to raise ten thousand pounds for three important causes, including Suicide Bereavement Support Cumbria.

Alongside SBS Cumbria, the money will go to Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a nationwide suicide prevention effort; and to pay for an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) course in Alex’s hometown of Ulverston, administered by Mental Health Learning, a North West England based course provider. Fundraiser Alex, who has lost two close family members to suicide over the last two years, has completed an ASIST training course himself, and says he chose these three charities to make a difference to suicide prevention efforts across the area:

“Before joining SBS, I did not realise how much would help me, meeting others going through the same feelings, stresses and emotions. If we can help just one person to not choose suicide or help just one family to deal with the loss of a family member, then this effort is more than worth it.”

We agree! Alex has been a member of SBS Cumbria’s Barrow-in-Furness group since January 2020. Facilitator Kitty said of his efforts:

“The whole community is really proud of Alex’ amazing efforts to reach out and help others during such a challenging time for him personally. I know his uncle Danny, who took his own life last year, would be so proud too. The other two causes that Alex chose to support are equally deserving and it’s great to see this initiative raise money for suicide prevention and mental health support across the board.”

It is no coincidence that Alex chose to raise funds with a cross-country cycle with a group of friends. Cycling outdoors and spending time with friends have both been shown to have a positive impact on both mental and physical health, and Alex “started bike riding to help get my physical health back on track, and soon realised how it did wonders for my mental health too.” He chose the route from his home to Whitby, a place filled with happy memories, and was helped by a supportive wider group along the way:

“I initially planned the ride as a solo venture to raise a few quid for suicide charities, but it soon grew legs as more and more friends volunteered to join me. It would have been quite a struggle without their support and the support of Joe and Sally Cowell ([my friend] Henry’s parents), Mell Tyson ([my friend] Felix’s mum) and Dan Stringer (owner of Ride Bikes in Ulverston) who all took their own vehicles to keep us fed and fix bikes along the way.”

If you haven’t donated to the Walney to Whitby cycle ride, use the following link to help Alex reach his fundraising goal, whilst he takes a well deserved rest!

About SBS Cumbria

Suicide Bereavement Support for Cumbria and surrounding areas is a registered charity established in 2019 by the core team from SOBS Cumbria. The mission of SBS Cumbria is to provide a lifebelt in the form of targeted peer support for adults living in Cumbria and the surrounding areas who have been touched by suicide. Download our Annual Report 2019-2020 to find out more.