Friends, family and community well-wishers lent their support to an Ottringham man as he embarked on a 5,000-mile solo motorcycle tour of Great Britain last week.
Ahead of his formal departure on Thursday morning, a leaving event was hosted by villagers the previous evening to celebrate the efforts of 35-year-old Josh Richardson in his pursuit of raising money and awareness for a men’s mental health charity.
At a gathering MC’d by DJ Rich Acklam, Josh held a Q&A with the assembled crowd where he shared the details of his challenge and his reasons for doing it. He was also presented with £100 by Royce Dixon, treasurer of Ottringham Events Group, to help him along his way.
Cllr Julia Billaney, chairman of Ottringham Parish Council, said: “All of us have wanted to get behind this because it’s such a good cause – it’s something that really needs attention to be drawn to it. Mental health in its widest sense is a really important subject and touches so many lives. This is a really big challenge and we want to give Josh as much support as we possibly can.”
Prompted by the struggles of friends and family who have experienced mental health issues in recent years, Josh was inspired to help raise awareness of the peer-to-peer support offered by Andy’s Man Club – a national charity that aims to eliminate the stigma surrounding men’s mental health.
Taking inspiration from the charity’s support system, Josh has planned a symbolic “pier-to-pier” ride, starting and ending at Withernsea’s Pier Towers, which will see him take on about nine hours of riding per day in an attempt to circumnavigate the mainland coastline of Britain.
After months of planning, Josh’s journey officially began last Thursday morning when he left Withernsea on the first leg of his estimated 15-day adventure.
Reflecting on his feelings ahead of departure, Josh said: “The nerves are starting to kick in now. The bike’s all prepped and I’m as prepared as I feel I can be but the pressure’s on. After planning this ride for so long, it all feels a bit surreal, really. I’ve been updating people on Facebook and Instagram saying ‘200 days to go’, ‘100 days to go’, ‘two weeks to go’ and now it’s actually today – it makes it all the more real.”
Among those who turned out to wave Josh off was his wife Lucy, who said: “It’s been so many months in the making and now I feel lost for words. I’m amazingly proud of him – proud beyond words, in fact. I’m filled with lots of emotions and I know that when I’m tracking his progress around the country, seeing him at the top of Scotland or down in Southampton, I think that’s when the extent of what he’s doing will really hit home.”
Since first announcing his plans in February, Josh has spent a considerable amount of time raising awareness of both his trip and the Andy’s Man Club charity, as well as preparing for the physical demands of the challenge.
Meeting people has been a key element of his preparations for the ride, with regular visits to bike nights in Withernsea and Warley Cross helping him to share his mission with members of the local biker community.
Paul Whitehead, owner of Withernsea’s Castle Café and organiser of the town’s weekly bike night, said: “I’ve known Josh for quite a while now. He’s a good lad and what he’s doing is so important. There are many ways for people to help their mental health and biking is a really significant one of them. Everyone’s been so supportive of what Josh is doing for the support of Andy’s Man Club, which is a great national charity doing fantastic work.”
Having opened the café early on the morning of Josh’s departure, as a base for those who turned out to support him, Paul is looking forward to welcoming him back next week. “It was a pleasure to support Josh as he set off on what was a cold and windy morning in Withernsea. We look forward to welcoming him back in time for our Thursday bike night next week where I’m sure he’ll get a big round of applause when he returns.”
Meanwhile, Josh has been keeping supporters up to date on his progress through his dedicated social media profiles on Facebook and Instagram. Speaking to the Gazette on Monday evening, from near the Cornish town of St Austell, Josh shared his feelings about his experience so far. “It’s been awesome, actually. Although I feel physically fine, the hardest part is that it’s been quite mentally tiring – more so than I thought it would be.
“I’ve met so many amazing people along the way, many of whom have opened up and shared their own stories about struggles with mental health which has actually been really humbling and exactly what this trip is all about.
“I’ve been on the bike for around nine hours a day, but out and about for 12 hours or more at a time. Talking to people and absorbing what I’m being told, listening to what people are going through, or have been through previously, is a lot to take in alongside the physical demands of the ride.”
Highlights of the trip have been visits to Lizard Point, the most southerly point of mainland Britain, Land’s End, the White Cliffs of Dover and a visit to the Isle of Wight. In a late addition to the itinerary, the prospect of completing a lap of the island was made a reality thanks to the support of Graham Matcham – a brand manager for Continental Motorcycle Tyres, which sponsored the day’s visit.
“I spent the day with a group of lads who accompanied me on a lap of the Isle of Wight. This was made possible by Graham, who is a phenomenal fella – a really nice guy and he was keen to know what my motivation was. He also shared his motivation for wanting to support me on my mission and I’m really grateful to him for his time, efforts, sponsorship and general support – as I am of everyone who has supported me so far, and those who continue to support me.”
Aside from a couple of small incidents, including a puncture on day two, and the crash-landing of his drone into the sea, the rest of the trip is going to plan, albeit with a couple of minor adjustments.
“There have been a couple of times where instead of following the exact route I planned, I’ve headed inland slightly to join faster A-roads to help keep me on time. I’ve also had to adjust my route on account of the number of messages and phone calls I’ve received along the way from people who want to meet me and offer their support.
“Although to start with I was annoyed at myself for changing what I said I was going to do, I’ve been prioritising what’s going to benefit the mission more. In particular, going out of my way to meet up with social media influencers who have the reach of thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands of people, who can help make what I’m doing more visible.”
Reflecting on the wider support he’s received so far, Josh added: “I’ve been overwhelmed with everyone’s kindness and offers of support. It helps massively and generates a really good feeling all round. I met a guy yesterday who took me out for tea, put me up in his apartment for a night and rode out with me for an hour and a half this morning. Things like that really mean a lot.”
At the time of going to print, Josh will be working his way up the west coast, through Wales and on to Whitehaven in Cumbria on the ninth night of his adventure. Four nights in Scotland will follow, at Greenock, Loch Maree, Inverness and Edinburgh respectively, before a continuation down the east coast to reach Whitby and the start of the final stretch back home to Holderness.
Josh aims to reach Hornsea on the evening of next Thursday, September 19, where a meet-up is planned at the New Inn between 5pm and 6.30pm. Fellow bikers are being invited to meet Josh at this point and join him for the final ride back to Withernsea.
For anyone wishing to join Josh at any point during his journey, in particular the last leg home, regular updates of his progress can be found on his Facebook (AMC.Around.The.UK.24) and Instagram (the.roaming.rider) pages. These are being updated during his ride, acting as a daily diary of his progress.
Finally, for more information about Andy’s Man Club, visit andysmanclub.co.uk. The men’s suicide prevention charity offers free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the UK and online. It takes its name from Andrew Roberts, a 23-year-old from Halifax who took his own life in early 2016.
Founded by family members in response to his death, the first meeting of Andy’s Man Club took place in mid-2016 with the simple aim of encouraging men to talk through their issues. Since then, it has grown exponentially with groups operating at more than 150 UK locations including Hull, Beverley and Bridlington.
