Charity table tennis challenge raises £3.5k

Paddy Crump raised more than £3,500

Despite playing table tennis for 12 hours straight and racking up 40,000 steps, Paddy Crumpsaid the pain in his feet was nothing compared to the times when his mental health had been overwhelming.

On Saturday, he played from 09:00 to 21:00 BST to raise money for mental health and suicide support at The Hub in his hometown of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, which offers that support as well as other sessions for youths.

The 20-year-old raised more than £3,500 and played with more than 17 people.

It was also something deeply close to his heart - he has OCD and has struggled with depression, experiencing what he said was his "lowest point" during the 2020 lockdown.

"During Covid, I had a really really low point and kind of gave up, but I managed to get myself through with the help of a counsellor and my family and everything," he told the BBC.

"After that, I decided I wanted to use this experience, so I've been campaigning for better mental health support since then."

'If I hadn't got help I wouldn't be here'

He wants The Hub to open for 12 hours - from 09:00 to 21:00 - and said waiting lists for young people seeking mental health support were too long.

Exclusive analysis for the BBC by charity Rethink Mental Illness revealed a stark - and widening - inequality between mental and physical healthcare.

There are 12 times more patients waiting longer than 18 months for treatment compared to those with physical conditions.

"[I want] Any young person to be able to walk in there and talk to a mental health professional, without any hoops to jump through or criteria," he said.

"If I hadn't got help at my crisis point, I wouldn't be here, so I can advocate for the need for that help."

He said they money raised from his challenge would make an "incredible difference".

"Every single penny that goes into The Hub is spent on those young people, and the young people of Bromsgrove to make their lives better, and I just know that this money can hopefully help," he said.

"We're hoping to get the ball rolling and do some drop-in sessions."

• A list of organisations in the UK offering support and information with some of the issues in this story is available at BBC Action Line.