Burnley Leisure and Culture trio stepping out on summer solstice to raise money for Casual Minds and Six Connections

The Burnley Leisure and Culture trio are appealing for anyone with experience of mental health difficulties, or who knows someone who has suffered, or is suffering, to join them as they step out on their Summer Solstice Walking Challenge at the Barden Athletics Track.

Paul Foster, deputy chief executive, Alexis Turner, Beat the Streat co-ordinator, and Martin Dixon, business and finance manager, will be stepping out at sunrise, 4-39am on Wednesday June 21st, and will keep walking for more than 17 hours until sunset, which is 9-41pm.

They are walking for Casual Minds Matter and Six Connections and representative from both organisations will be joining them on the day.

Paul said: “We constantly promote the connection between healthy bodies and healthy minds at BLC, and we actively support the belief that everyone deserves to be happy and healthy.

“Anyone and everyone is invited to join us for as long or as little as they like. But we’re using the walk to advocate voluntary adversity, and we’ll do our best to help anyone who wants to push themselves out of their comfort zone to keep going at times of struggle, whether that be physically or mentally.

“Whether you’re part of a business, community group, school, or just an individual who loves to walk, come and get your steps in with us.”

Casual Minds

Burnley-based Casual Minds Matter will be using the walk to raise money to pay for 1-2-1 therapists as part of its fully funded counselling service, recognising counselling has a vital role to play tackling mental health issues but is often unaffordable for some of the people who need it most.

One of its supporters says: “This organisation has done so much for my brother as well as a lot of other people I know. I think it is great what everyone does. I haven’t attended for a number of weeks due to work, but the lovely people are always checking in on me.”

Six Connections

‘For mates. Powered By Mates’ is the belief behind Six Connections, which is also based in Burnley, and aims to make tough conversations about mental health struggles a little bit easier.

One service user said: “I didn't know what to expect when I attended the Six Connections workshop, but it was amazing. The delivery was done in a way that everyone in the room was able to relate to and the honesty and relaxed manner of the Six Connections guys made it easy for people to feel comfortable and open up.”

This year’s trio are following in the footsteps of three colleagues who completed the challenge during last summer’s heatwave.

The summer solstice, also called midsummer, occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun.

It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is the day with the longest period of daylight and shortest night of the year, when the Sun is at its highest position in the sky.