LIPHOOK mums Helen MacDonald and Fiona Sherrin have joined forces to cycle 760km from Liphook to Lake Geneva, with a goal to raise £10,000 for the Young Minds mental health charity.

Their extreme challenge started on Sunday, with a goal to reach Lake Geneva by the end of this weekend after crossing the Channel at Portsmouth.

The two friends aim to cover more than 60 miles per day through France and steep climbs across the Alps, carrying everything they need in their cycle panniers.

They will ride solo, relying only on each other for moral and practical support.

Helen and Fiona’s sponsorship appeal for Young Minds is in response to their own loss of close family members to mental health illnesses and a common desire to raise awareness to benefit others.

Helen, aged 50, is a successful Pilates teacher and a mum of three teenage girls.

She told The Herald: “I lost my brother, Tony, last year.

“He committed suicide at the age of 47 following the death of his mother a few months prior. He had battled with mental health difficulties for much of his life and he became alcohol and drug dependent just to cope.

“Like so many others he struggled to talk openly about his fears and he failed to find the support he needed from the conventional mental health services.

“As a mother of three teenage daughters I’m painfully aware of the daily pressures which threaten their ability to be confident and resilient.

“They can sometimes find it hard to be simply happy.

“This cycle ride is to emphasise the importance of physical strength, meeting challenges in life and keeping mentally strong.

Fiona, aged 49, is a maths teacher at Bohunt School, and is also painfully aware of the tragedy consequences of mental illness.

The mother of three teenagers said: “My father committed suicide in his 40s which was a devastating loss for the entire family and was possibly preventable if he had known where to turn for support.

“The impact of his death affected my mental wellbeing and it was a further eight years before I sought help.

“My desire is to make the issue of mental health more mainstream, particularly among young people who face considerable pressures today.

“Young Minds helps the whole family to understand struggling is not a sign of weakness and it is entirely normal and sensible to reach out for help.”

One-in-four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year with an estimated three children in every classroom already having a diagnosable mental health condition.

Young Minds is the UK’s leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of young people.

They are campaigning for more effective mental health services to be available and to expand their helpline which is already reaching 10,000 people annually.

lTo make a donation go to www.justgiving.com/ Helen-MacDonald21