STAFF members of Berks & Bucks Football Association are to take part in a 12-hour cycle challenge next Monday to raise vital funds for Reading-based, national charity Sport in Mind.

Each season, Berks & Bucks supports over 80,000 people of all ages and abilities to participate in football, and, with NHS England reporting that one in four adults and one in 10 children will experience mental illness, the association understands the importance of acknowledging and supporting everyone’s relationship with their mental health and are keen to promote the benefits of physical activity.

On World Mental Health Day, the Berks & Bucks team will embark on a challenge to cycle 185 miles in 12 hours on a stationary bike. 

Berks & Bucks CEO Liz Verrall said; “On World Mental Health day, we are supporting Sport in Mind by cycling 185 miles on a stationary bike, 185 is significant because it represents the number of lives lost to suicide across Berks & Bucks in 2021.

“This is not just about suicide, this is about encouraging people to check in with just one friend or colleague, that conversation may make all the difference. Berks & Bucks FA have an opportunity and a responsibility to use the power of our sport to reach as many people as possible with important health messages such as this.”

Every penny raised through this challenge (and across the season) will go directly to Sport in Mind.

To show your support and donate to Sport in Mind, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bbfa-sim