A MAN from Cam has just completed three marathons in five weeks to raise money for causes close to his heart.

Matt Newman, 38, decided to challenge himself to a ‘manic marathon month’, raising money and awareness for GL11 in Cam, and for Mind, the mental health charity.

The father of two ran the Brighton, London and Manchester marathons, on September 12, October 3 and October 10 respectively.

Matt said he has found running helps him when he struggles with his own mental health, and he chose to support Mind because he wanted to help others who were struggling too.

“Since moving to Cam and Dursley over six years ago I have become quite partial to long distance run or two, brought on by the fact that I needed to lose some weight and I needed to find a good outlet for when I struggle with my mental health,” said Matt.

“After a year out, with all races being cancelled because of Covid, I decided to ‘go hard or go home’ and in true Newman fashion I’ve not made things easy for myself.

“My motivation is to raise as much money as possible for two fantastic charities.

“The first is Mind, which supports people struggling with their mental health.

“Mental health problems are on the increase because of the incredibly difficult situation we all found ourselves in with the pandemic, and Mind is needed now more than ever.”

“My second charity is GL11. This incredible non-profit organisation has done so much for our local community, never more so than in the last 18 months.

“GL11 was not only responsible for setting up and organizing the day to day running of our local vaccination centre, but they also co-ordinated volunteers and supported the most vulnerable in our community. They also run various events, classes, and raise funds to support those that need it.

“Having volunteered for the charity in the last 18 months, I’ve been truly humbled to see such wonderful community spirit.

“For me this isn’t about how fast I can complete each marathon, it’s about raising awareness, raising money and - for me personally - proving that you can achieve something you once thought was not possible, with a strong mind and determination.”

If you would like to donate to Matt’s fundraiser visit: gofund.me/35416e82