Firefighters taking on five highest peaks in the British Isles to raise awareness of men's mental health

Noel McKee, from Whitehead; Stephen Brown from Newcastle, County Down; Craig Bell, from Moira, and Davy Ross from Islandmagee will begin the challenge next Monday (May 22).

Calling themselves ‘Four Fools in their Fifties’, the group’s aim is to raise awareness of mental health issues in men over the age of fifty.

Noel, owner of East Antrim Counselling near Carrickfergus, said: “Statistics show that this is consistently either the highest or second highest age group for male suicide. We want to show that life isn’t over just because we get a little bit on in life.

"By challenging ourselves and grasping opportunities we can keep active, engage in challenges, maintain some social contact and help us take notice of the world around us.

“The ‘four fools’ are friends that have served together in the Northern Ireland Fire Service and have known each other for a long time. Two of them have retired from the job and the other two will be retiring shortly. All have had various issues over the years and strive to maintain contact with each other as a form of release from every day pressures.”

The four men will begin their challenge with Ben Nevis on May 22, before travelling to the Lake District to climb Scafell the following day.

Wednesday, May 24 will see them travel to Snowdonia to climb Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales.

"Thursday is a day of travel to Dublin, first on the ferry then a long drive to Kerry to climb Carrauntoohill on the Friday morning,” Noel said.

"A six hour drive awaits to Newcastle after the climb and we finish the challenge off on the Saturday morning by climbing Slieve Donard.

"We hope to leave from Donard car park at 11am, and invite any friends and family to come and complete the challenge with us.”

Rather than a fundraiser, the venture will be an awareness raising event to highlight a “much overlooked issue within this age bracket”, he added.