A Ledbury man is driving to Senegal and back to raise funds for a mental health charity.

Rob Cooper is aiming to raise £5,000 for Mind by making the solo trip from Herefordshire to Dakar.

The 37-year-old left for Dakar on December 1, driving a 2001 1.3 litre Suzuki Justy.

That’s a journey of 7,284 miles through France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, He is being sponsored by building contractor Speller Metcalfe, as well as Rotherwas Car & Light Commercial Ltd.

Not only is it a long journey across varying climates, but Rob will also be sleeping in the car for most of the trip.

Ledbury Reporter: Rob is sleeping in his car for most of the journeyRob is sleeping in his car for most of the journey (Image: NQ)

“Having suffered with my own mental health, I firmly believe that mental health issues shouldn’t stop anyone from doing extraordinary things and that continuing to have amazing experiences and push yourself demonstrates a real strength of the mind,” said Rob.

For many of us who are focused on buying gifts for family and friends, it can be easy to forget those who can often find this period particularly challenging - be it because of money worries, personal relationships, the recent loss of a loved one, loneliness or perhaps a worrying medical issue.

Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding, and are active throughout England and Wales, with local support centres in Hereford, Swindon and Bristol. 

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James Speller, managing director at Speller Metcalfe, said: “Mental health is a big topic for the construction industry, with one in four of our peers suffering from a mental health issue at any one time.

“We also have the highest rate of suicide among men of any industry, and for Speller Metcalfe it’s extremely important that we highlight support services and talk about mental health as much as possible, to encourage those who are struggling to seek support as soon as they can.”

Rob is yet to reach his goal of raising £5,000, so if you would like to sponsor him, visit his Just Giving page, and you can also follow his journey on Facebook.