Counsellor Powers Through Illness and Hills on 500-mile Charity Ride for Young People
By Mental Health Correspondent
A counsellor and trustee at Wellspring Counselling is one week into her 500-mile solo cycling challenge — and despite a cough, cold and some punishing hills, she’s still pushing on to raise money for young people in crisis.
Sue Jenner set off on April 30 from St Davids and is aiming to reach Canterbury after four weeks on the road, wild camping along the way.
She’s now covered around 200 miles.
The route hasn’t been easy. Steep climbs, long days in the saddle and feeling under the weather have made things tougher than planned. Even so, Sue has kept going, helped along by stretches of scenic countryside and support from people she’s met en route.
Her target is £3,000 for Wellspring Counselling, which offers low-cost support for adults and donation-based counselling for young people aged 11 to 25 across North Somerset.
Demand for services has been rising, with anxiety, exam pressure and school stress all increasing. Local figures show hospital admissions linked to self-harm and mental health in young people are above the national average.
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Sue has been involved with the charity since 2018 and is well known locally in Nailsea for her community work, including supporting refugees.
She says the challenge is about making sure more young people have somewhere to turn when they need help.
Wellspring is funded through donations, grants and fundraising, with all services heavily subsidised to keep support accessible. Donations are still being welcomed as Sue continues her ride south.
