THE DORSET DOUBLE CHALLENGE 2022:
RAISING AWARENESS AND FUNDS FOR DORSET MIND AND SPORT IN MIND
Challenge Overview
Throughout 2022, Jon Mead – Hall & Woodhouse Team Member and Ambassador for The Aligned Athlete – will be taking on a series of cycling and running challenges to raise money for two charities:
The challenge journey culminates in “The Dorset Double” – two one-day events each covering ‘Dorset in a day’:
- August – Cycle to every Hall & Woodhouse Pub in Dorset. Covering 354 km & 3000 m elevation.
- December – Run to each of the seven H&W pubs who have selected Dorset Mind as their charity partner from 2020-2022. Covering 110 km & 2200 m elevation.
Jon will be sharing his journey: reasons why – friends and community – training and racing – good times as well as bad. The aim is to encourage others to reflect on their own mental and physical health, hopefully inspiring them to challenge themselves in a positive way to be the best version of themselves. To donate, please follow the links below:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thedorsetdoublechallenge2022dorsetmind
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thedorsetdoublechallenge2022sportinmind
Confirmed Partners:
Why: Improving Mental and Physical Wellbeing
“The strains of the pandemic have meant that the issue of mental health has been in the public consciousness like never before. And we should be encouraged that more people, from all walks of life, are now talking more openly about their mental health and wellbeing.
But we know that, for every person who comes forward, there are more who are suffering in silence. So we must keep encouraging people to get help if they need it and keep working to eliminate the stigma that’s far too often attached to mental health so that people know it’s OK not to be OK.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid (2021)
“Physical inactivity is associated with 1 in 6 deaths in the UK and is estimated to cost the UK £7.4 billion annually (including £0.9 billion to the NHS alone). Unfortunately, our population is around 20% less active than in the 1960s.
If current trends continue, it will be 35% less active by 2030. Many people don’t realise that physical activity has significant benefits for health, both physical and mental, and can help to prevent and manage over 20 chronic conditions and diseases, including some cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression.“
www.gov.uk (2019)
“If physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent and help treat. Physical activity is not just a health issue.It brings people together to enjoy shared activities and contributes to building strong communities whilst supporting the economy to grow.”
UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines (2019)
How: The “Dorset Double” Challenge
The “Dorset Double” Challenge aims to inspire people to talk openly about mental health issues, act as a catalyst for individuals to increase their levels of activity and raise vital funds for two charities who work in Dorset to support mental health and provide opportunities for social physical activities free of charge.
Dorset Mind are a pioneering local charity that educates, challenges mental health stigma and inequality, and promotes recovery by empowering individuals to develop resilience. They also provide 1-2-1 and group support that help adults and young people recover from and maintain their mental health. www.dorsetmind.uk
Sport in Mind are an award winning mental health charity with a simple mission: “To improve the lives of people experiencing mental health problems through sport and physical activity”. Founded in Reading, Sport in Mind are expanding their impact – currently providing free sessions in Poole, Dorset – and aiming to deliver more sessions across Dorset with the support of the NHS and fundraisers such as the Dorset Double Challenge. www.sportinmind.org
An ambitious target has been set of raising at least £5000 each for Dorset Mind and Sport in Mind. As examples of how these funds could be spent:
– £5000 to Dorset Mind could pay for a whole-school programme for 1 year, educating up to 2,500 young people, parents and teachers.
– £2500 to Sport in Mind could cover the cost of a sports session for a whole year.
The Challenge is compriosed of two parts, each covering ‘Dorset in a day’:
- August – Cycle to every Hall & Woodhouse Pub in Dorset. Covering 354 km & 3000 m elevation.
- December – Run to each of the seven H&W pubs who have selected Dorset Mind as their charity partner from 2020-2022. Covering 110 km & 2200 m elevation.
What: The Journey
“It’s the journey that matters, not the destination”
– Anon
Like all ambitious journeys, the hardest part is getting started and sticking with it, even when things get tough. Rather than simply focussing on the two one-day events themselves, the key message for this fundraiser is about the journey for an individual (or individuals) to set themselves an ambitious challenge and demonstrating perseverance and consistency to achieving it.
Jon Mead, who is taking on the Dorset Double, will be documenting and sharing his journey: reasons why – friends and community – training and racing – good times as well as bad. The aim is to encourage others to reflect on their own mental and physical health, hopefully inspiring them to challenge themselves in a positive way to be the best version of themselves.
The path to achieving the Dorset Double will not be a straight journey from A to B – there’ll be highs/lows when scaling this mountain – and as part of Jon’s preparation he’ll be undertaking a number of smaller challenges on the way to act as “camps” on his way to the summit.
Athlete Profile: Jon Mead
Jon describes himself as “the typical adult-onset athlete”. Having played team sports throughout his teens and early 20’s, he suffered a serious ankle break which required multiple operations and a prognosis of being unlikely to be able to run again without causing irreversible damage. After two years of being sedentary a friend encouraged Jon to take up the challenge of completing a Sprint Triathlon and, after braving (surviving) the worst sea conditions he has ever swum in (even since!), he was immediately hooked on endurance sport.
Since 2014, Jon has enjoyed challenging himself to a series of endurance-based events including the Alpe D’Huez Triathlon, his first Marathon (self-supported!) and a back-to-back 100 mile rides to take selfies at every Hall & Woodhouse Pub in Dorset raising nearly £2000 for Dorset Mind [Press release link].
He strives to keep a healthy balance between family, work, health and well-being – promoting a mindful approach to life. With two young daughters, he wants to set a good example and tries to keep them as active as possible – encouraging them to set their own challenges (usually involving accompanying him running whilst riding their bikes!).
Jon believes that setting challenges for himself directly connects him with new friends and communities, as well as improving his physical and mental health. His mission is to inspire others to do the same through their chosen physical activity.
For this Challenge, Jon would love for other individuals to pledge themselves to completing sections of each challenge – from 5k to 50k – whatever represents a challenge for them! Jon is also actively seeking the support of partners who share the same passion for health and community to support him on his journey in any way they can, as well as helping to promote the fundraiser.
