Mammoth journey for charity fundraiser

A MAN and woman are preparing to take on a mammoth 94-mile walk to raise money for a mental health charity and fund a new musical project.

Lee House, 38, is to walk from Shotts in Lanarkshire to his home town of Arbroath.

Setting off on September 13, he is taking on the challenge with friend Lori Forbes to raise money for Arbroath-based charity Reach Across.

Lee said: “I’ve suffered with my mental health since my 20s and it became more problematic after my mum died.

“It wasn’t until I accessed support services that I was able to address the problems I had been facing.”

Lee admits training for the walk has been intense and he is sticking to a strict vegetarian diet in a bid to build up muscle for the journey.

He said: “At the moment we’re trying to get in as many miles as possible.

“I’m working to get up to marathon level before progressing further.”

As well as raising money for Reach Across, Lee is also hoping to create a book called Hummingbird about the impact music has had on his mental health.

He added: “Music can have a positive impact on your mental health but I’ve found that it can also act as a trigger.

“I’m hoping that by helping young people to open up by connecting with music they can access support services they need.

“If I had been shown how to connect with music I loved, it would have helped me to seek professional help sooner.”

Lee hopes to expand on his project by running music sessions with young people and mental health professionals to help them learn about the impact it can have on their mental health, as well as how to use it to help cope with symptoms.

He is aiming to raise £4,000 from his walk, with half going to Reach Across, and half to Hummingbird.

Anyone wanting to make a donation should visit gofundme.com/f/ walking-home-for-mental-health.

Lee House