A HEREFORDSHIRE man who lost his mother to mental health told of how his group walks help others.

Pete Johnson, 52, of Ross-on-Wye, started Ross-on-Wye Mental Health Mates with two friends who also had a variety of their own mental health experiences.

Mr Johnson lost his mother to suicide when he was a child and resultant trauma led to his own mental health challenges over 50 years.

They included periods of anxiety and depression.

"I have learned to cope with it in my own way, including recognising walking and being outside is a great benefit.

Mental Health Mates is a network of peer support groups who meet regularly to walk, connect, and exercise and share without fear or judgement.

They wanted to start meets-ups to give time and space for people who often feel isolated.

Mr Johnson is the only one continuing to run the meet-ups out of the original three organisers.

"My hope is to challenge stigma and provide an informal non-clinical place for people who feel they have nowhere to turn," he said.

He now speaks at various events, talking about his own experience of bereavement by suicide and is a member of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA) group of influencers.

He is currently collaborating with an award-winning artist Mark Storor on an arts project called the Suicide Chronicles.

Mental Health Mates is dedicated to creating a supportive network for people experiencing mental health challenges – providing an opportunity to turn negative experiences into positive ones.

Their next walk, on Sunday, November 7, will mark two years since they started.

The meet-up will take place outside the Royal Hotel, in Ross-on-Wye at 10am.

Currently the groups are between four to 12 people.

You can email mentalhealthmatesrossonwye@gmail.com or go to their website mentalhealthmates.co.uk