Sheffield scaffolder who says hiking changed his life to walk 1,200 miles for Andy’s Man Club
A Sheffield scaffolder who says hiking changed his life is walking 1,200 miles for suicide prevention charity Andy’s Man Club
Jordan Darby, aged 39, spent 20 years abusing alcohol and drugs which culminated in a suicide attempt and finally prison.
In 2021 the dad-of-four, born and raised on Hillsborough’s Wynn Gardens estate, was jailed for 32 months for attempted arson with intent to endanger life.
Ironically it was going to jail that turned Jordan’s life around - allowing him to cut ties with bad old habits, reassess his life and look forward to more positivity.
Years before being jailed he had seen a GP for depression and was prescribed antidepressant drug sertraline but didn’t take it.
He said: “I didn’t really follow through with anything. I was doing it more for other people and didn’t really see a problem with myself.
“Going to prison took me away from the life I was living - that I’d known forever - and I started noticing all these beautiful places on TV. When I came out I started going to see all these places.”
When Jordan was released from prison he started hiking in the Lake District, Scotland and Wales - experiencing a kind of “awakening” and seeing more in the last three years than he had in his entire life prior.
“I’ve always loved the outdoors,” said Andy, “but I’d never pursued it. I just lived the life I lived, stuck in a mindset. You realise things aren’t as bad as you thought, you see the bigger picture.
“You realise there’s more to life than worrying each day about things that can be sorted, like finance. If you speak to people you can get help.
“Hiking made me realise, I’ve always been negative in life and rather than take the good out of every situation I’ve aways reacted to the bad.”
On May 1 Jordan will set out on a 1,200-mile hike from Land’s End to John o’ Groats in 60 days to raise funds and awareness for Andy’s Man Club.
Most nights he will be sleeping in his tent, carrying what he needs on his back.
Speaking about the charity, he said: “It’s brilliant, what they do. How they get people talking without them actually realising it. It’s a good community and they’re helping a lot of people.”
Anyone one wanting to donated to Jordan’s walk can do so HERE.