Wheelbarrow challenges continues for High Peak joiner raising awareness of mental health in construction industry

Joiner Ben Brindley ran four miles every four hours for 48 hours to raise awareness for mental health and the load people carry especially in the construction industry. Photo submitted

A joiner from the High Peak has just completed a four mile run every four hours while running with a wheelbarrow to represent the mental load those in the construction industry have to carry.

Ben Brindley started Ben’s Wacky Races last summer and for a year he will be doing various runs and climbs all with his wheelbarrow.

At the weekend he took on his latest challenge which saw him run 60 miles over 48 hours.

He said: “The support from the community has been amazing.

“Out of the 13 runs I did I only ran two on my own as people kept coming out to run with me.”

Ben suffers from anxiety and wanted to highlight the mental strain faced by people in the construction industry every day.

The 40-year-old said: “My main goal has never been to raise money, I know people are struggling with the cost of living and money is tight. I want to raise awareness and get people talking.

“I have had people coming up to me while I’m running and talking about their mental health so the message is getting out there to people that it's ok to talk and that’s what it’s all about.

“While I was running this weekend it as close to 4am and a driver went past but then stopped and came back and asked why I was running with a lit up wheelbarrow in the middle of the night.

“Knowing I am catching people’s attention and bringing mental health to the forefront of people’s minds is all I want to do.”

Ben, from Chapel-en-le-Frith, says in between some of the earlier runs of the 4 x 4 x48 he was going back to work and meeting clients.

“In the construction industry there is always something going on, a job to do or a project to finish. There isn’t the time to stop and when you throw in mental health issues people may be facing which are very common in the industry and you feel under so much pressure you carry it around with you all the time.

“And that is what the wheelbarrow represents - it’s making the mental load visible and I think it’s working.

“Before I started this challenge I put a post up on local Facebook groups so people wouldn’t be worried if they saw someone outside their house in the middle of the night with a wheelbarrow.

“People have really taken me into their hearts and I’ve had driver’s tooting at me and shouting words of encouragement which has been great.”He stopped off at the Old Cell in Chapel where he refueled with a cheeseboard and pint of coke in between his runs.

He said: “They were great, they let me bring the barrow into the pub and I raised almost £70 in there which wasn’t expected.”

In the coming months Ben will be taking on even bigger challenges such as SNowdon, The Yorkshire Three Peaks and the Manchester Marathon and finishing with Everesting at Peaslows hill near Chapel which will see him do 58 reps of the hill - the same distance as Mount Everest.

Ben is raising money as well for Lighthouse - a construction charity which helps people who are suffering with their mental health.

To donate visit justgiving.com/page/benswackyraces