A group of Chagford residents will walk, run or horse ride from Witheridge to Frenchbeer to raise awareness of mental health issues in memory of Dartmoor farmer Mike Malseed who took his own life at the end of last year.

Mike’s good friends Sue Parrott and Boots Bright came up with the Witheridge to Frenchbeer journey to widen awareness of the warning signs of mental ill health and how best to offer support, something that they think is especially important in isolated farming areas, after Mike took his own life after a mental health crisis.

Over the weekend of October 22-23, a small group of family and friends will be following Mike’s ‘life journey’ by walking, running, cycling and horse riding from Witheridge to Frenchbeer, culminating in a fund-raising reception to be held at Chagford Recreational Trust Clubhouse.

The goal is to provide training for 20 people from rural organisations and communities across Dartmoor. The aim is that people who receive the training will then be able to maximise their new skills by sharing them with others and widening understanding of what mental health crises and potentially life-threatening deterioration in mental health conditions can look like.

Boots said: ‘When we lost Mike everyone was so shocked that it happened so quickly and of course we felt we had been unable to help and support him with getting the right specialist care in time.

‘Our fundraising is very specific - to pay for mental health first aid training for people in the community and farming who can then share their skills with others. Ultimately if the money raised creates better awareness and helps people recognise someone at serious risk then everyone who gives will have helped to make a difference and potentially save a life.’

Funds raised will go to the Farming Community Network which works through the Dartmoor Hill Farm Project and to the Chagford Recreational Trust which trains youth and sports group organisers.

The money will be allocated to specialist organisations to fund programmes aiming to raise awareness of mental health issues in local communities.

The friends pointed out that while many people have undertaken physical first aid training, mental health emergencies do not attract the same level of attention even though knowledge of what to do in a mental health would saves lives.

To support the cause or for more information visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/wtof.

Anyone interested can follow the friends’ journey at www.instagram.com/witheridge_to_frenchbeer/.