Paisley sports fanatic Gavin Lemon has cycled from Edinburgh to Glasgow raising £105 for local mental health charity RAMH.
Gavin, who plays community football for Paisley Lions, pedalled 55 miles to raise funds for local mental health services provided by RAMH.
Physical health coordinator Leanne Connolly said “at RAMH we’re thrilled to have had Gavin’s support. This was a significant achievement for him and furthermore will help us develop the service so that even more people can enhance their mental health by getting physically active.”
The Paisley Lions community football sessions are every Saturday from 10am-12pm in Paisley for males aged 16 or above. Five-a-side matches are played at the individuals’ own pace. Football is used as a means of encouraging people with mental ill health to engage with others and their local community, while improving physical, mental and social wellbeing. It is particularly geared towards men, who are less likely than women to seek support for mental health problems.
Recent research has evidenced that becoming physically fit can lead to improved mental health and a significant reduction of anxiety, depression and a range of other symptoms. Paisley Lions is a RAMH initiative and they recently played at St Mirren as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
New players are welcome, sessions cost £2. Contact Leanne on 0141 618 5547 or leanne.connolly@ramh.org to get involved.
RAMH helps 5,000 people across Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire with all mental health diagnosis from depression to bipolar disorder. To support mental health services in your local area go to www.virginmoneygiving.com and search for RAMH.