The former Chief Executive of NHS Shetland and NHS Borders is taking on a major 1,200-mile cycling challenge to raise funds for health charities, including the charitable arms of both health boards and the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH).
Ralph Roberts, who recently retired after a long and distinguished NHS career, is cycling across Scotland to raise awareness of the importance of the NHS and to support vital mental health and wellbeing services.
His journey, which began earlier this month, will take him from Unst in Shetland to Melrose in the Scottish Borders, visiting the most northerly, westerly, easterly, and southerly health centres in Scotland, along with the headquarters of every Scottish Health Board.
As part of the challenge, Ralph visited NHS Fife today, where he met by NHS Fife Chief Executive and received a warm welcome at the health board’s Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy . His visit was an opportunity to acknowledge the dedication of local NHS teams and to highlight the impact of charitable funding in enhancing patient care and staff wellbeing.
Ralph said:
“I am keen to raise funds for charity and am delighted to support SAMH as well as the charities of NHS Borders and NHS Shetland. I know how important it is that we increase our focus on mental health and wellbeing—both from my own experiences during my career and from seeing what more we can do across the NHS to support our communities.”
Catriona Wilson, Mass Participation Events Manager at SAMH, added:
“We are so grateful to Ralph for taking on this incredible challenge to raise funds and awareness of mental health. At SAMH, we know how important physical activity is for our mental health, and the money raised will help us continue to support people with mental health problems across Scotland. We wish Ralph the very best of luck on the rest of his journey.”
