A teenager from Hull is walking the equivalent of a marathon to raise money for a mental health charity.
Jaden Lee Tobin, 16, will walk 26.2 miles from Hull to Bridlington in aid of Hull and East Yorkshire Mind. He said: “I’ve been struggling with my mental health for a while, and I know many others – especially young people – are going through the same thing but often in silence.
“That’s why I’ve decided to take on a personal challenge to raise awareness and support for mental health.
“I will be walking from Hull to Bridlington to raise money for East Yorkshire Mind, a local charity that does amazing work supporting people in our community who are facing mental health difficulties.
“This walk represents my own journey and my hope to inspire others to speak up, seek help, and know they’re not alone. I want to help break the stigma around mental health, especially among young people and those with autism.”
Jaden has been preparing for the challenge by walking 15 miles every week. He has been choosing locations around East Yorkshire, including the Humber Bridge and Hornsea.
He said autism and mental health can affect people by making them be “not able to interact well with others” which can lead to them “thinking the whole world is against them”.
Jaden said the best way people can support friends or family who have autism is to “understand their needs and learn about autism and mental health”.
He said he picked the charity Mind because of the support they provide to people with mental health struggles. “I want to let people know that they are not alone and there is always someone fighting the same battle as you,” he added.
At the time of writing, Jaden’s fundraiser on Just Giving has raised £200 out of its £500 target. He is due to set out on the walk on Sunday, August 3.