Dave Manning, to complete five-day sponsored walk from Lincoln Cathedral to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for men’s mental health

A 52-year-old man is gearing up to complete a five-day sponsored walk in aid of a mental health charity that sits close to his heart.

At 5am on September 14, 2011, Dave Manning found himself sitting at the top of Beachy Head, a chalk headland near Eastbourne, seconds away from taking his own life.

After feeling as though something stopped him, he decided to spend the next decade rebuilding himself and now dedicates much of his time to helping raise awareness of men’s mental health, showing people where they can find support.

His latest fundraising venture is a 150-mile sponsored walk from Lincoln Cathedral to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in London, over the Easter weekend of March 28 to April 1.

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“We chose to start in Lincoln because it's very central, and right from the beginning we’ll be in a pedestrian area which will hopefully get a lot of publicity,” he said.

“The route is set out how it is so it goes through the centre of quite a lot of towns and villages and the reason we’re going to Tottenham is because it's my football team and my family’s football team.”

Money raised from the event will be donated to the Bourne charity Don’t Lose Hope which delivers affordable counselling by a team of professionals, in private fully-equipped rooms for families and individuals.

Dave, a coach driver who lives in Lincoln with his partner Julie, said: “Normally the counselling sessions to the public cost about £100, and there are ten sessions to a course on average.

“But with the charity, people can get these sessions for £20 each.”

He hoping to complete the walk by covering 30 miles in ten hours on each of the five days and is looking for sponsors to help make it possible.

“Throughout the route, we’re looking for people to come out and cheer us on and give support,” Dave said.

“All support is welcome, whether it’s through the JustGiving page, providing refreshments on the route, accommodation, or even company donations, it’s all greatly appreciated.”

Donations to the fundraising page can be made here.