A resident is planning on covering 220 miles around Alsager during March through a combination of running and walking to raise money for a charity that helps young people battle mental health.

Emily Jackson decided to set herself a goal to lose weight after being at her "all time heaviest", but she wanted to raise money in the process and donate to Visyon.

On her JustGiving page, Emily says: "2021 got off to a slow start for me mentally, it made me realise that I did not feel confident in my own skin, as I'd piled on a lot of weight from lockdown eating.

"I set myself my own goal to lose weight by walking and running each day and noticed a difference in my daily outlook and what positives I could take from this new lockdown routine."

Last March in the first national lockdown, Emily weighed 17stone 2lbs and now this year she weighs 14stone 11lbs, but she has "not finished there".

Emily added: "As walking and doing a couch to 5k has helped me improve my fitness and make me feel body confident again, it has made me appreciate the small things that I'm grateful for.

"I wanted to use this opportunity of me losing weight to raise money for a charity like Visyon, where it helps younger people with their mental health.

"Visyon would have been massively impacted financially due to not being able to fundraise how they would have usually due to Covid rules and regulations.

"I just felt like if I'm pushing myself to lose weight to better myself, why not raise money to better someone else's life through this amazing local charity.

"Mental health has been tested through the pandemic and after the virus has gone, I think people are still going to have to recover mentally from the damage it's caused."

Emily's goal is to walk or run 220 miles, the equivalent of 465,000 steps in March and raise £1000, so the money could "make a difference to someone's life".

Emily concluded: "The UK is so lucky to have charities like Visyon to help young people with mental health and it needs the support to keep going to help the next generation."

You can donate here.