A Carlisle firefighter has set herself the challenge of walking 87 miles this month to raise money for a local mental health charity, just 11 weeks after giving birth. 

Natasha Turner, who works at Carlisle East Fire Station, is aiming to walk 87 miles during February to raise vital funds for Carlisle Eden Mind.

She has already completed over 25 miles and is tracking all her walks and runs on her Facebook and JustGiving pages. 

Despite giving birth just 11 weeks ago, Natasha is desperate to do everything she can to help the charity which has helped herself and many others in the local area.

She said: "I'm hoping to smash my target. Mental health is something I'm very passionate about. A lot of people don't hear about it locally, so I wanted to give something back.

"I've gone through stuff and my family and friends have as well - this is about letting them know that Carlisle Eden Mind are there to help and pick up the phone.

"It's not that scary to ask for help, it's ok. Sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger. It's a big thing to me and it's really important to keep it going and keep highlighting it."

While on maternity leave from the fire station, Natasha wanted to challenge herself, while also taking her new-born out with her for adventures. 

She said: "I only had a baby 11 weeks ago so it's a bit of motivation and encouragement to help me through that. We're always raising money for the firefighters charity but that doesn't help the other people locally with mental health issues.

"I thought doing three miles a day for 29 days, after months of doing nothing, would be a great challenge. Hopefully I'll push on to 100 miles if we can reach £500.

"Sometimes I'll do a run by myself but most of the time, my little one will be here with me. It's lovely for them but it's definitely a bit more of a challenge for me."

You can follow Natasha's progress and donate to her fundraiser here.