PC to push riot van 26 miles for mental health awareness
All day tomorrow (6 Sept), PC Mike Hickman, 15 friends and a dog will be pushing a riot van (like the one pictured) the distance of a marathon around carriage drive to raise awareness of mental health.
We wish them luck!
Mike Hickman says that in policing, they refer their colleagues as family.
That's why the Battersea man took the news so hard when Surrey Police officer Nigel Furlonger lost his battle with PTSD.
"Our work partners are often called work wives and work husbands, so l would liken losing a police officer, even if I had never met them to losing a member of the family," Mr Hickman said.
"I joined to keep people safe, and sometimes that means I see and deal with things that take a toll, that can be very hard.
"However, I honestly believe I have the most fantastic job in the world. I get to work with people I regard as close as family, I am working to keep my community safe and I am supported and developed in what I do."
Wanting to make a difference to his colleagues, as well as the community, he came up with an idea.
Himself, 15 other people (mostly Surrey Police officers) and one dog will be taking part in a world record attempt to drag a police public order van the distance of a marathon around Battersea Park to raise money and awareness in the blue light sector.
You can donate to the cause here
"I wanted to raise money for a charity that supports mental health by doing a challenge that would help those you are involved to also come together as a team and support each other," he added.
"We understand that the path for recovery from mental health issues or losing a loved one might be long and hard, but working as a team, talking to people and sharing the load can make it easier."
The group have been training for about a year now and said getting to this point has been a hard slog.
"You can't go on the internet and google 'how do I train for a marathon truck pull'," he said.
