'It was terrible' - Funding cuts prompt Derry man to run 60km a day for mental health charities

Derry man, Dene Harley, will run up to 60km a day for 10 days to help raise awareness on mental health struggles and raise funds for local charities. 

He decided to run from Mizen Head to Malin Head, Ireland's "lowest to the highest point," in a challenge he has called 'Miles for Minds.'  

"It's one island, one run, and one message. The message says, just speak out. If you're struggling, just please speak out. You don't have to go through it alone," Dene explained.

He decided to take on the challenge as he believes that too many people nowadays are feeling as though they have to "put on a brave face." 

Dene wants people to see him struggle on this run to spread the message that everybody struggles, and that is okay. 

READ NEXT: IN PICTURES: Feis Dhoire Cholmcille honours legendary Irish dancing teacher Lilian O’Moore

"We're not alone, and it's okay to speak up and ask for help or advice," he said. 

Dene heads to Cork on June 24, with the goal of taking off for the run on the morning of the 25th. 

He is giving himself 10 days to get to Malin Head, meaning he will be averaging between 55km and 60km per day. 

"I wanted to put my body and my mind through tough places in order to achieve it. It links back to the message that people will see that I'm struggling," he expressed.

Dene is a Lifestyle Coach with quite a following on Instagram. 

Online, he is often very open about his own mental health or life struggles.

"I've come out to say, 'I'm troubled with stress at the moment, you know, anxiety, panicking, worry, burnout,' and then I can be fine, the next day something good happens," he explained.

"I did want to put myself through hardship in order to really appreciate the challenge at hand. It's not going to be easy at all. It is going to be challenging. I will be doubting myself mentally and physically. I want people to see what can happen if you persevere and just keep pushing," Dene added. 

As the journey is going to be a difficult one, people are being encouraged to join him for a couple of kilometres throughout.

One of his good friends, Danny, who recently ran 200 miles through the Sahara, will join Dene for the first five or six days of the run. 

Other friends and strangers are expected to meet him along the way, and Dene has the attitude of 'the more the merrier.' 

READ NEXT: Derry’s sporting giants unite for ‘April Balls Day' to raise funds for Prostate Cancer

This will give him a "boost" in his mood and energy, but what will really be the driving force to getting him home will be his family.

"In my mindset, I'm running home. That's like a push for me, a big thing. I'm a father of three and have a beautiful wife. If I try to keep it in my head that I'm going towards them, I think it'll help me," Dene said.

His family will help him, but the goal for Dene is to help others - whether that's through awareness, showcasing the reality of mental health struggles, or financially by supporting local charities. 

The 'Miles for Minds' challenge is also a fundraiser for two charities in Derry. 

Foyle Search and Rescue is one that is close to Dene's heart, as it does a lot of work on suicide prevention.

A few years ago, Dene lost a good friend to death by suicide, and the team were "absolutely amazing" in helping.

"Just having conversations with the family and the friends and letting us understand tide times, when it was safe for us to be out in the water searching. They were just beautiful people, beautiful souls," he shared.

The other charity to benefit is the Men's Action Network, which provides access to counselling groups, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and a safe space for men to talk to each other.

Before Christmas, a lot, if not all, of the charities' funding got cut, but some of the staff members have continued to volunteer.

"It was terrible because they have such a portfolio of people that they've helped. I just thought it was absolutely amazing that you're doing this. You're sitting with no funding. They're trying to rebuild again," Dene said.

It's not the first time he has undertaken a challenge for local charities, though, as he has been organising a Christmas Toy Appeal for the local hospital every year for the past five years.

Events like this bring the people of Derry together, with Dene describing those who attend them as "amazing."

"When you're organising or running anything charitable, the people are crazy... There's just floods of people landing down, people who I don't know. The majority of these people are strangers... It just takes me back every year. I really do feel like there are so many good people out there," he said.

He said this should act as a reminder that there are people that you can rely on if you need help, even if it is a stranger.

You can follow along on the journey by following Dene on Instagram @harleyfitnessandhealth.

If you would like to support Dene on his journey from Mizen to Malin, you can DM him on Instagram to join in a leg of the run, or you can click the link here to donate.