Banbury comic to do tandem hang-glide to make online show raising awareness of mental health issues

Sheila McMahon is a qualified counsellor who moved to Banbury from West Ireland in 2002 and used to work at the Banbury Guardian.

She is planning to undertake a tandem hang-glide to fund the shows which will interview experts and invite guests to ask questions about mental health.

She has suffered from mental health issues herself, tackling depression that was so severe she wanted to commit suicide at the age of seven.

She said: “Unfortunately, in today’s society, mental health is still a taboo subject, which doesn’t help the people who suffer with it. When we brush mental health issues under the carpet it doesn’t make them go away, it just makes the fear stronger. That’s why educating people about mental health is so important, and I’m hoping the online shows can help offload many of the negative elements so we can start laughing our way to better mental wellbeing!”

She will be doing the hang-glide as her comedy character, Sister Mary and will be in the safe hands of her brother Geoffrey who has held the record for the longest hang-gliding flight in Ireland (80 miles) for the last 10 years. For more visit www.mindmanagementforyou.com.