Why is mental health important to you?
Mental health is important to me because it is a big problem in young people and the hardest thing is starting a conversation and asking for help.
Alfie and Mike's fundraising journey
A photo of Riley and Trey, smiling while sat on the beach.
On 10 June 2023, Alfie and Mike took on a half marathon in memory of their brother and son, Riley Ellis, and close friend, Trey Rodd. Alfie’s PE teacher joined them for the entire run, and members of Alfie’s sporting clubs also joined and ran a leg of the run each.
They began the first mile at Dorchester Cricket Club and ran through various sports clubs and along the seafront, before finishing at Lodmoor Country Play Park.
After two hours and 31 minutes of running, they were met with almost 150 people who had turned up to show their support and encouragement for Alfie and Mike.
Alfie and Mike have raised an incredible £12,027.09 (plus £1,217.75 in Gift Aid), which is being split between YoungMinds and Gully’s Place Trust Fund. As well as the half marathon, the college Riley attended (Weymouth College) arranged a concert in memory of Riley, called ‘Rock for Riley’. Alfie played with Riley’s band ‘The Haze’ and the event raised an incredible £2,400 for us.
We have been blown away by Alfie and Mike’s support and dedication. Not only have they raised vital funds, but they’ve raised a huge amount of awareness for young people’s mental health and the work that we do. We feel extremely inspired and thankful to them both.
Alfie and Mike’s family are continuing to fundraise and raise awareness for us. Most recently, Alfie’s mum, Sally, attended a fundraising event set up by Riley’s girlfriend, and Mike is currently busy training for the London Marathon in April.
About Alfie and Mike
A photo of Alfie running the half marathon with his hands up in the air.
My name is Alfie and I love playing most sports and guitar.
And my name is Mike and I love playing guitar and listening to music.
We ran a half marathon and are fundraising for YoungMinds because we lost our brother and son, Riley, aged 17, unexpectedly last year.
We don’t want any other families to suffer like we are and we want for young people to know there is help out there.
What three words describe you best?
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Kind
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Sporty
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Creative
Meet more of our fundraisers
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Laura skydived to raise vital funds for young people's mental health.
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Adam Land has been fundraising since 2018 in memory of his daughter Eloise.
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Class 6CJ wrote a book in lockdown and sold it to raise money.
