Hundreds of motorcyclists have raised over £19,000 as part of a global campaign to raise awareness about men’s mental health.
Bristol’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride took place on Sunday, featuring more than 350 riders. The journey began in Winscombe and concluded in Saltford.
Participants donned dapper clothing and rode classic and vintage motorcycles to raise funds for Movember, a men’s mental health organization. Movember aims to achieve universal and realistic outcomes for men’s mental health and prostate cancer.
The charity emphasized that suicide remains the leading cause of death among men aged 20-39 worldwide and that prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men.
Sean Good, 47, has hosted the ride in Bristol and Bath for the past 11 years. A former Royal Engineers serviceman with tours in the Balkans, Bosnia, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, Mr. Good understands the importance of mental health.
“I’ve seen the sharper end of mental health struggles, and as a biker, even if I didn’t realize it at the time, that was my own sort of therapy,” he said.
The ride has grown substantially since its inception in 2014, when Mr. Good organized the first event attended by 15 people. Speaking about the attire, he said, “Motorcyclists often have a certain image. The idea of getting dressed up is to break that stereotypical mould. Men are renowned for not talking, not sharing. But when you get a group of like-minded people together, working towards a common goal, it resonates with you.”
The Bristol Distinguished Gentlemen Riders successfully raised £19,437 of their £20,000 goal.
