End to End - Cycle UK by cycleuk

My 874-mile ride to repay care kindness
By Arron Hendy
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Stuart Skinner cycling next to an elephant in Laos
A MANIC-depressive is to cycle the length of Britain to say thanks to the charity that is helping him recover.

Stuart Skinner, 27, from Belfield Park Avenue, Weymouth, has already peddled 3,000 miles from the Philippines to Vietnam this year.

He is hoping to raise £10,000 for Rethink, a charity with centres in Weymouth and Dorchester.

Rethink helps people affected by mental illness to lead a better quality of life.

Stuart said: "They helped me realise there's other people going through the same thing and that I wasn't alone.

"I've had problems since adolescence but I didn't get diagnosed until I was 26.

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"Many people have a serious mental illness and become isolated from society but Rethink really help empower people.

"There's a huge disparity between funding for mental and physical illnesses and health care and I want to raise awareness of that."

Stuart has used the cycle ride to help manage his illness.

He has improved from the worst periods of his depression when he contemplated suicide and used self-harm in what he describes as acts of escapism.

During Stuart's last fundraising trip through Asia he was hit by a van in Cambodia and later flown to hospital from Laos when he contracted haemorrhaging gastritis.

He said: "Basically I was bleeding badly but they have no health care in Laos so they flew me to Thailand.

"Laos was my favourite country on the tour and they have really nice roads, but they are empty as no one can afford cars.

"I lived on noodle soup for six months on the cycle ride so all I dreamt of was tea and steak and ale pie."

Stuart was not a cyclist until he began the charity ride and despite touring Asia he now believes the Dorset coast is the most beautiful place to cycle.

China refused him entry during his ride and he decided to ride across Britain on his return instead.

He said: "There were problems with the protests about the Chinese occupation of Tibet and they did not believe I was travelling by bicycle.

"I pleaded and begged but they still said no so I decided to make up for it when I came back."

The manager of the Old Rooms pub in Weymouth, Matthew Betts, has decided to support the fundraising by staging a pre-cycle launch day on July 7 with a football match, a charity auction, raffle and other events.

He said: "It should be a great night and hopefully it will help towards reaching Stuart's target as it's such a great cause."

The 874-mile John O'Groats to Land's End ride is set to take place between July 12 and 26.

Anybody interested in donating prizes for the launch day or sponsoring the football match should contact Stuart on 07888 897288 or visit the website www.justgiving.com/cycleadventureuk