My name's Paddy and on the 14th of May 2021 (the date might change by a day or two depending on weather), I'll be cycling 200 miles to raise money for Samaritans.

I lost my dad to suicide when I was 9 and the older I get, the more people I know who have been affected by suicide in some way. 

I'm lucky enough never to have been in such a dark place myself, but I know plenty of people who have. I also know that sometimes just having someone to talk to can be all it takes to diffuse a potentially tragic situation.

Unfortunately, not everyone has that luxury, which is why Samaritans' work is so important.



The reason I chose the 14th May is that this date marks a year since the first time I cycled 100 miles. My plan was always to double that the following year and I decided it'd be a good opportunity to raise some money for a good cause.

I'll be doing two laps of a 100-mile loop around Northumberland that begins in Tynemouth, goes inland and north up to Rothbury, east through Alnwick to Alnmouth and then back down the coast.  The full ride will be just over 200 miles with roughly 10,000ft elevation. I'll post the exact route on Strava for anyone interested.

My aim is to raise £500, so any donation, however big or small, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

More information about Samaritans: Samaritans' vision is that fewer people die by suicide. Every 90 minutes, someone in the UK or Ireland dies by suicide, and every six seconds, somebody contacts Samaritans for help.