The Bennetts British Superbike Championship has announced a new partnership with the Mental Health Motorbike charity at Motorcycle Live today (Sunday).
Mental Health Motorbike is a registered charity based in the UK. It has been set up to create the country’s first dedicated, free mental health support network for motorcyclists and their families. Working with all sectors of the motorcycle community, they are a value lead charity with a strong focus on inclusion, to reach every type of motorcyclist.
Mental Health Motorbike are already prominent in the motorcycle industry for their work with Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA), in addition to series title sponsor Bennetts and are totally reliant on donations and goodwill to enable them to support tens of thousands of motorcyclists nationally.
One in three people are struggling with their mental health and 75% of people with diagnosed mental health illnesses receive no support or treatment. Suicide is the most common cause of death of men aged 20-49 and 75% of suicides are males.
The charity offers three levels of support, firstly through one-to-one support with a trained mental health first aider. Secondly through peer support through a private, members only, online community support group and finally in person rider support at events and activities across the UK.
Mental Health Motorbikes’ key objective for next year is to build a network of mental health first aiders from within the motorcycling community, with 150 motorcyclists already trained. This committed group have seen the ripple effect of their action reach out across the country, with many lives already being saved through this network.
Part of this initiative also includes training with the Herock Racesafe Marshals, first to offer support and someone to turn to when dealing with incidents, and as well provide them with the mental health first aid skills, as the marshals, teams and riders are fully integrated within the racing paddock. This will help create more understanding and an empathetic culture within it.
Paul Oxborough, a founding member of Mental Health Motorbikes’ commented: “Partnership with the racing fraternity is vital. Therefore, the opportunity to work alongside the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and bridge the gap between racing and broader motorcycling community is a vital part of ensuring the right people have access to the right support. Offering a lifesaving network."
Bennetts British Superbike Championship Series Director Stuart Higgs commented: “This is such an important new partnership. The subject of mental health is sadly still a taboo in many cases. The objective to create an accessible support network using the common platform of motorcycling is a great step and we will use as many assets as possible to promote the great work of Mental Health Motorbike."
For more information visit www.mhmotorbike.com