A FOOTBALL coach who raised £2,5000 for a mental health charity is now planning to do an Olympic triathlon.

Electrician Callum Laird, who coaches at Exeter City FC, is tackling a 1.5k sea swim, 47k cycle ride and 8k run in June in aid of Mind in Somerset.

His latest challenge has already raised £400 for the charity on top of the £2,500 he collected through a 24-hour football match.

Callum said: "With the current state of a global pandemic, people are losing their lives, their loved ones and their jobs, so it’s important to maintain good mental health.

“I’ve also had family members and friends suffer different kinds of mental health issues, which almost resulted in the worst.

"So that’s why Mind in Somerset and creating awareness of their amazing work is important to me.”

To donate to Callum’s challenge, click HERE.

Meanwhile, six Taunton men are climbing the Three Peaks in three days to raise £1,000 for Mind in Somerset.

Three Charlies – Cooke, Purvis and Wilson – Louis Gallagher, Jake Wych and Dave Roadhouse, will take on Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike over 72 hours, a total of 3,408 metres.

Dave said: "The toughest part of the challenge will be endurance.

"As we live in Somerset and we start at Ben Nevis in Scotland, it’ll be 516 miles drive, followed the next day by a seven- to nine-hour hike.

“Then it’s seven hours drive to our next location, Scafell Pike. This’ll be a challenge in itself to combat the tiredness and keep going to the end."

The team, who are in various trades including plumbing, thatching, teaching and surveying drains, are in full training now walking the Quantocks and doing short, fast runs along canals.

Dave added: “We chose Mind in Somerset as our charity as the last year with the pandemic has been so difficult, amplifying mental health issues.

"We want to recognise the hard work they do which should be appreciated.”

The Three Peaks team’s giving page is HERE.