A local lad has embarked on a mammoth fitness challenge this month to raise money for a worthy cause following a number of personal tragedies.
Although it sounds hard to believe, Martin Kavanagh admittedly “didn’t really run” that much before setting himself the task of clocking up an accumulative 168.78km – the equivalent of four marathons – around his local area over the course of the month of January.
But it’s his near-novice abilities that make his achievements all the more impressive.
The 34-year-old – who is originally from Tullamore, County Offaly in Ireland, but now lives with his family in Manchester – was keen to undertake a challenge that he could really be proud of after sadly losing several relatives and friends to mental health battles in recent months.
And it was these devastating loses that provided the catalyst for his efforts to raise awareness and achieve his fundraising goals.
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With every kilometre he runs, Martin is raising money “in aid of healthier minds” for Manchester Mind – an independent, self-financed charity that has been supporting young people and adults with mental health issues in Greater Manchester for over 30 years.
Manchester Mind aims to promote positive attitudes to mental health to challenge the stigma, increase awareness, and work for better mental health for all.
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“This charity is close to my heart,” Martin said.
“We all know someone who has suffered or is suffering from mental health and some who [has] unfortunately lost their battle.
“There needs to be more money put into the mental health services and I would like to do a little to help.
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“[Manchester Mind] values the commitment of their staff and volunteers, who work hard to ensure services are delivered in a way that enables people to feel heard and involved.”
He concluded: “Everyone deserves to be supported in their mental health needs and we have a part to play in that.”
Whilst this has mostly been a solo challenge, Martin did tell us that he manages to recruit members of his family to join him in his efforts from time to time.
He also likes to keep those who are keenly supporting him updated by posting route maps of his daily runs around the community on social media, as well as his dedicated fundraising page, which often earn him worthy comments of praise that inspire him to keep going.
Martin’s friend Maya spoke for everyone when she told us that his achievements are really “pretty amazing”, as he gears up to complete his last run of the challenge in the coming days.
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With over 148km complete, and not long to go before the challenge is complete, Martin has set himself the target of raising £1,000 for Manchester Mind, having already achieved over £321 and counting, and assuring that “every donation will help”.
Nathan Aspinall urges PDPA to improve mental health support within the sport
Danny Jones
Local sports personality Nathan Aspinall has urged the Professional Darts Players Association (PDPA) to provide better mental health support moving forward.
It’s not the first time ‘The Asp’ has called for more awareness and provision when it comes to player welfare and mental wellbeing, specifically, which remains a prevailing societal problem in general.
The Greater Manchester native has opened up about his own struggles many times in the past and has made a public plea for the PDPA to intervene and offer more help.
Speaking at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championships after his opening round victory, the 34-year-old instead chose to focus on more important issues than his strong start.
As you can see, Aspinall began by stating that “the PDPA now need to step in and help these guys because there’s a lot of guys suffering.”
Having long been an champion for male mental health, in particular – supporting the local Healthy Minds practices in his hometown of Stockport, for instance – he’s been one of the outspoken player on the subject for some time.
Noting that there are at least “two or three people” he refused to name, his message was simple: “There’s a lot of fantastic dart players in our sport, but it’ll be a shame to see so many of them go because of mental health”
The 2019 UK Open and 2023 World Matchplay winner has battled with multiple obstacles, including an ocular condition known as bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome, as well bursitis, which causes inflammation around key joints.
But it’s not necessarly injuries and the physical side of things that have been his biggest concern.
𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗨𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁
"I really do not care anymore.
"I do everything I can to be a good sportsman and you still get s**t. So you know what? I don't care. Say what you want." pic.twitter.com/mCBjQ6kvyj
One of the biggest and most recurring challenges for him has been ‘dartitis’, which many players within the discipline wrestle with the more their careers progress.
Aspinall has confessed to suffering almost chronic panic attacks due to the mental blocks (also commonly known as ‘the yips’) brought about by the intense pressure of playing on stage/live on TV.
With that in mind, it’s great to see him not only back on form and pulling impressive performance such as his ‘big fish’ finish on Friday night, but continuing to draw more attention to the underlying mental health crisis, especially among men. Well played, Nath.
You can watch his post-match interview in full down below.
Featured Images — Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)/Live Darts (screenshot via YouTube)
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Fans are preparing to pay tribute to Mani from The Stone Roses ahead of his funeral service
Danny Jones
Stone Roses fans and Greater Manchester locals alike are getting ready to pay their respects to the late, great, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, following his tragic passing last month.
As well as details surrounding his funeral being announced earlier this week, the iconic Manc musician’s cause of death has also finally been revealed.
While Hatton’s service featured a high-profile cortège which started all the way from his hometown of Hyde, past multiple landmarks and ending at the Etihad Stadium, those local to Mani’s family home on the edge of Stockport are also being welcomed to help send him off.
It's the funeral of Mani of the Stone Roses on the 22nd. He lived locally. This poster is asking people to line the route of his funeral cortege to "show that he truly was adored". pic.twitter.com/X0DYHl10Hp
He had been struggling with emphysema for some time; he was declared dead at his home in the suburb of Heaton Moor, and is said to have died peacefully in his sleep.
As you can see from the posters put in various places around the area, residents wishing to pay their own tributes to Mani before his private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral are encouraged to line the long street leading down from St Paul’s and Heaton Moor United Church as he heads towards the city.
Departing Parsonage Road from 10am on Monday, 22 December, before turning right onto Heaton Moor Rd, then Wellington and eventually on to the Cathedral, you can expect plenty of people to show up.
One of those people will be his former bandmate and another influential guitarist, John Squire, who is one of many famous musical names to have honoured him in their own way over the last few weeks.
Other members of The Stone Roses, as well as Primal Scream (who he joined in 1996), are expected to join the close family and friends at the service itself.
Nevertheless, we have no doubt that plenty will be observing the funeral in their own way.
So, for those of you also looking to honour him, you know what to do; and to quote the poster itself, “together we can show this local legend and his family that he was truly adored.”
Emily Sergeant -
26th January 2021 
