Somerset runners raise funds for mental health charities

Up to 50 runners in the county are taking part in the Million Metres challenge

A group of running enthusiasts is raising money for charity in memory of family members who struggled with their mental health.

Guy Locke from Cheddar Valley launched the A Million Metres running challenge to help young people's mental health.

Funds raised so far have reached more than £18,000 and the final proceeds will be donated to The Space in Somerset and national charity Mind.

Mr Locke said he wanted the fundraiser to "give people a space to speak".

His original idea was to have about 10 of his friends running 100km (62m) through February, which equates to 1,000,000 metres, but it quickly expanded to nearly 50 runners across the country.

Guy Locke said more people should be able to access mental health support when they needed it the most

Mr Locke's mother Ali took her own life eight years ago when he was 15 after struggling with her mental health.

He said: "She suffered in silence for most of it.

"What my mum needed, and what many others do, was someone to speak to, and the most important thing is to destigmatise it.

"I have a strong family base and friendship group who stood by my side through thick and thin, but not everyone has and not all are as supported and that's an issue."

Mr Locke's mother Ali took her own life when he was 15

Sandy Legg's daughter Sofia took her own life at the age of 14.

Ms Legg now works for The Space charity in Somerset that supports children aged four to 18 with low mental health or low emotional resilience.

She described Sofia as a lovely girl with a really kind heart who was very good academically and then had a "quite sudden and dramatic changes in her personality and behaviour".

Mr Locke and Sandy Legg are supporting a Million Metres running challenge

The Space supports people in the Cheddar Valley area and assisted 200 children last year.

Ms Legg said: "We provide one-to-one counselling to any young person and have also developed a youth club to help young people not to feel isolated, to communicate socially and talk about anything,"

The charity has recently started counselling sessions with five to eight year olds, using play therapists to help them express themselves.

"At that age its difficult for them to get access when approaching mental health services as the threshold to be seen is really quite high.

"It's about educating these young people from an early age on how to discuss their mental health and how to recognise that this isn't right, I'm not feeling great," she added.