Yorkshire cricketer Jonny Tattersall joined York and North Yorkshire Mayor, David Skaith, for part of a 1500km running challenge promoting men’s mental health.
Tattersall joined the Mayor at York Cricket Club on Wednesday. The run was part of the Mayor’s challenge to run 5Km every day throughout November for Menfulness, a men’s social wellbeing group in York and surrounding areas.
David Skaith said: “I grew up playing sports. It’s shaped me into the man I am today and continues to support me through the challenging and hectic times of my life. That’s why I chose to do this challenge.
“I wanted to raise awareness for men’s mental health and start a discussion on what we can all do to help ourselves and each other.
“An active lifestyle and spending time outside is great for improving both mental and physical health. Connecting with the outdoors, sport and with others does wonders for my mental health, and I really want to encourage as many people as possible in our region to find their own connection to activity and spending time outdoors.”
Yorkshire wicketkeeper batsman Jonny Tattersall said: “I remember watching my dad and David play together at Knaresborough when I was a kid, so it was a pleasure to run alongside him today for a charitable cause.
“It was a brilliant chance to discuss such an important topic and how sport and being active can make such a difference to people’s wellbeing.”
Improving people’s connection to the outdoors through an active lifestyle and spending time outside is key to the Mayor’s vision to create healthy and thriving communities.
David Skaith said: “I’m developing the Mayoral Active Programme to encourage active lifestyles from an early age right through to adulthood. I am committed to encouraging people to connect with our beautiful landscapes, as time with nature can do wonders for mental and physical health outcomes. It was great to catch up with Jonny to discuss what sport means to us.”
David is also committed to establishing a Mayor’s Sports Council. Working closely with Sports England, North Yorkshire Sport and partners, David wants to champion sporting talent across the region and improve accessibility to sport.
David added: “I want to champion our region’s great sporting capabilities. Jonny is a brilliant example of an accomplished Yorkshire athlete, and it has been an honour to run alongside him today.
“York and North Yorkshire have a lot to offer the sporting world. York Cricket Club are set to host a T20 Blast fixture between Yorkshire and Durham in 2025. We have ongoing First-Class cricket and List A matches in Scarborough. These events are amazing for our future athletes, and I can’t wait to see what this does for our region.”
To read more about David’s vision, click here.
If you or someone you know needs support, please contact the following resources:
Menfulness: Visit https://menfulness.org/
Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
Mind: Call 0300 123 3393 or visit mind.org.uk
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): Call 0800 58 58 58 or visit thecalmzone.net
Published on Wednesday 27 November