A university student from Carlisle is hoping to raise awareness and money for Young Minds by completing 12 months of sporting challenges.

Sarah Connolly, 20, is a second year psychology student at the Northumbria University.

Sarah, who is currently studying remotely from her home in Carlisle, said the pandemic has been particularly tough for young people.

She said: “Now is a really important time to raise awareness and money to support mental health.”

“I think that everyone is struggling and everyone’s lives have been turned upside down, but if you are a child and depend quite heavily on socialising, then it must be particularly difficult. It’s probably the hardest thing our generation have had to live with.”

Sarah’s 12 months of sporting challenges begins in March when she will aim to run 60.1 miles for the whole month in order to raise awareness for the 601 suicides that occurred in under 25s last year.

She also hopes to undertake challenges that other members of the public can join in with when it is safe to do so.

As well as adding cycling and swimming to her challenges, another aim of Sarah's is to inspire others to reap the mental health benefits of physical exercise.

She added: "I think at the minute when everyone is inside, it can definitely feel like Groundhog Day. If you can break up your routine a bit and go outside, that can be great for your mental health.

"If this can encourage others to get out there, it'll be a success.

"I would like young people to feel like they can reach out and that there are the provisions for that. I want to let them know that there are many services out there and people who want to help. That’s so important right now."

For more information on mental health visit Carlisle Eden Mind or Young Minds.

Help Sarah's cause by visiting her JustGiving page.

Follow her journey on her Instagram page, @yearforyoungminds.