A Newcastle man is planning to walk the full distance from Wembley to St James' Park in a mammoth challenge to raise awareness for men's mental health.
Magpies fan Josh Banyard will set off from the national stadium on a gruelling 273-mile five-day walking challenge on August 22 hoping to make it all the way to St James' Park.
The challenge is all centred around raising awareness of the importance of speaking about mental health as well as raising money for the Newcastle United Foundation, which he credits with saving his life.
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The planned walk from London to Newcastle will come only months after the Benton man successfully completed the Three Peaks Challenge - involving climbing the highest mountains of England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours - for the same cause alongside a friend. In all, Josh and his friend raised £555 for the Newcastle United Foundation for completing that challenge.
The money will specifically be used to help their health and wellbeing team in the form of the Be a Game Changer campaign.
"We completed the Three Peaks Challenge and it was very tough! It's definitely the most challenging thing we've done so far," he said.
"My mate's fitness levels are through the roof so it was me who struggled. We got there in the end, it was a nice day out but probably something I would do just the once."
Admirably, despite the arduous nature of their last outing, Josh will be joining his friend again for the 273 mile-long journey from Wembley to St James' Park.
"It's quite a unique challenge, I always want to give back but I was desperate to do something no one's really done before," Josh says.
"I was trying to think outside the box and I just eventually thought Wembley is the home of football in this country and St James' Park is our home of football, walking from one to the other seemed a great idea.
"It instantly seemed like a great way to raise awareness. I don't think anyone has done it before so it's a unique chance to do something which will raise that awareness while also raising money for the mental health campaign.
"It's me that comes up with all the ideas and [his friend] that leads all the training! I'm the fundraiser and idea-maker and he comes up with the training plan - I then get dragged along for the ride," he joked.
"He motivates me through the harder moments of injuries and training. The best thing is, we met through the Be A Game Changer campaign.
"He had moments where he struggled with his mental health and we met as part of a peer support group. From there our friendship has just blossomed to what it is now."
Josh feels the combination of his desire to raise awareness, alongside his friend's love for the physical side of the challenges, makes them a formidable team when it comes to completing them.
He said: "He's a great motivation for me and he really gets involved. He loves it. He is one of those people where he loves the physical side of it, so that's what he enjoys about it whereas I like to raise awareness through it and tell people why we're doing it and what it's all for.
"I think it's a great mix to have. We've been able to raise the awareness through other challenges so far which is a amazing which is so important.
"None of it is about personal gain for me. I get a sense of achievement and it makes me feel good completing a challenge that no one else has done but as long as we raise awareness of the work that's happening, it's done its job.
"To be honest, even if it has the outreach of just one person, helping to change that one person's life is amazing."
The 35-year-old has also described the help and support which he has received from fellow Newcastle United supporters from up and down the country including those from Hanwell Town FC, a West London club founded in 1920 by a group of Newcastle United fans, who have offered to assist Josh and his friend during their epic challenge.
He said: "We've had a few people pop up to us on Twitter offering us a bed to sleep over the route. The outreach on social media is amazing and the generosity of people just blows you away. We're hoping to see how we get on.
"We've had massive support from Hanwell Town FC, they've been mint. We've been in contact with each other for a while and they've offered us bits and bobs for the journey.
"We talk quite regularly over Twitter and when they come up here. They're just a bunch of really friendly, supportive people.
"Geordies are the best fans in the world- so inclusive and accepting of everyone. Geordies are generous people and supporters up and down the country are the same.
"I was part of the supporters' club down in London and everywhere you go, you meet Newcastle fans. We all look out for each other!"
Josh first moved to Newcastle five years ago from London. After a job offer fell through, the dad-of-two suffered with his mental health and sadly considered taking his own life.
He credits the Newcastle United Foundation's Be a Game Changer campaign for saving his life and is looking to raise awareness for the work they do in the community, especially during the summer off-season where many fans miss the community aspect of attending games.
"I'm hoping that people see the work that is ongoing at the Be a Game Changer campaign and that it attracts other Newcastle fans. The campaign relies on funding, as does the Newcastle United Foundation and without that, it won't be able to last long-term so that's what we're looking to help out with really. It's a life-saving campaign.
"It's massive, football is part of my everyday life. Going to the match gives me such a mental health release and I know that's the same for many people up here. Having something to focus on is huge for people and through this campaign, getting involved it really does help with dealing with the everyday stresses of life.
"Everyone struggles and football is a massive relief for so many people."
"I've never shied away from saying the Newcastle United Foundation saved my life. If it wasn't for the Be a Game Changer campaign, I wouldn't be here today. When I came up here, I had really bad financial troubles and really bad mental health troubles which led to me wanting to take my own life.
He added: "I was very lucky that I fell into a programme called the Twelfth Man programme, which at that time was a pilot programme run by the Newcastle United Foundation to get men talking about mental health and regain their fitness. It led to me sharing my story about my own mental health journey and that led to me getting heavily involved in the Be a Game Changer campaign which focusses on just getting men speaking about their mental health.
"It truly does save lives. Without the campaign, I wouldn't be here with my kids, my wife and spreading the message."
You can donate to Josh Banyard's Wembley to St James' Park walk to raise awareness of men's mental health here.
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