We are at that turning point this weekend with what appears to be lockdown restrictions been eased out in phased measures. We are not sure what this means for us bikers yet. Whatever your decision to take your bike out please be safe and let people make their own informed decisions – we are all adults here.
We’ve been working with lots of people Who been really struggling with her mental health because of the lockdown. Let’s not become divided because people choose one thing or another.
Things to think about:
There will be lots of people on the road haven’t driven for months
Go easy on your bikes let them run themselves in again
It’s a bank holiday weekend nice weather and because of VE Day stuff Watch out for people who have been drinking
Don’t get into unnecessary arguments with people if they have a go at you for being out on your bike
Remember the NHS is still under huge amount of pressure, don’t add to this burden by taking stupid risks on your bike
Don’t go on a long distance rideout as police are still prosecuting people for this
Take care – and remember if you need to talk or someone to reach out to give us a shout.
We officially started the Mental Health Motorbike at the beginning of March 2020 and if we knew then what we know now would we have done things differently?
This is a very difficult question to answer because we are still in the thick of a world crisis that has never happened before. A crisis where historians and families will talk about this decades from now. It will probably take a few months or even years to come up with an answer to this question. What I do know is I feel very proud and inspired for setting up the Mental Health Motorbike with Jay and Andy.
It has overwhelmed me at times the shear number of people reaching out to us and talking about their mental health issues. I’ve always known what you see on the news is just the tip of the iceberg but to actually deal with real human beings on an intensely intimate level it is incredible. It is tough, sad, emotional and frustrating at times. But it’s also an incredible privilege to try your very best to support somebody who is in crisis. I feel we are doing a good job at the moment with limited resources, no financial support and not enough hours in the day. I also feel we are creating friendships with people who will go on a much longer journey with the Mental Health Motorbike post lockdown.
As I look back to the early part of this year my financial position was healthy I had lots of work coming in and some of the most interesting international projects to look forward to. Within weeks I saw all of this wiped out with the prospects of my company (setup in 2008) never recovering. I have every reason to be depressed, scared, angry and frustrated myself. But I’m holding onto the fact there are thousands of people out there in this position, and we have to be strong not become another statistic adding to the mental health narrative.
The Mental Health Motorbike has been my lifeline during this difficult period. Supporting others has never felt so important. I know whatever happens in my wider life and career this has been a defining period for me. I’ve also realised it is essential we continue the service and my commitment, passion and energy to make this a huge success supporting thousand more bikers. We need you support more than ever but ultimately… watch this space!
Every week the Mental Health Motorbike has been hosting A Virtual Rideout. The format has been to upload a video shared by a MHM follower then have a structured one hour sessions were any biker can join.
More recently members have been taking small slots during the hour to present something to the rest of the group. This can range from coping strategies during the coronavirus through to maintenance on a motorbike. The MHM team are keen to make the sessions as interactive as possible.
The one hour sessions are facilitated by MHM And generally start off with everybody having a chance to say hi and share where they’re coming from what they do and share interests, there will be a chance to talk about how things have been during the week, Then an opportunity to here from guest speakers. The sessions flow really well and if people need specific individual support this can be provided afterwards.
It is the second week of April 2020 and we are two weeks into the government lockdown due to the Covid19 virus. This is a script where the ending has yet to be recorded, a story that is exciting and absolutely terrifying.
It has meant that bikers have been unable to get out on the sunny days. Some people have broken the stay at home rule thinking they aren’t hurting anybody. It is probably true that the motorbikes are the best social distancing vehicle, but what happens when the inevitable accident takes place? Bike accidents generally involve police cars, ambulances and sometimes fire engines. At a time when emergency services and the national health service are in meltdown we have to ask ourselves do we want to be this extra burden on them?
For some time the mental health motorbike has been speaking to bikers about how the NHS treat them when they are involved in accidents. Generally the support is unbelievably positive but there have been cases where doctors have been quite negative towards bikers. This is something we will look at longer term as it can have an affect on people‘s mental health recovery. There will be a time and place that we look at this but for now we just have to be supporting our doctors and nurses as they really are unsung heroes in this crisis.
Stay strong out there guys think about the riding days that we can look forward to in the near future. You could always join us on social media for our virtual ride outs. We have some great video content of amazing places fellow bikers have shared with us.
To get involved with this go to Facebook and search @mhmotorbike
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