I made a decision in September 2017, three years after I lost my beautiful daughter Shirley to suicide, that I would do my utmost to raise funds for our charity by having a fundraiser every September in memory of my daughter and because 10th September is World Suicide Awareness Day.
In 2017, I did a tandem skydive with the Black Knights near Lancaster and raised over £2000. In 2018, I got a few friends together and did a 5km canal run in High Peak and persuaded a friend’s husband to take part in a white collar boxing match. We raised in the region of £3000.
In February 2019, I heard about the annual Charity Abseil Down Liverpool Cathedral. I was really quite excited about this as I had always wanted to abseil but the opportunity just never arose. Anyhow, I contacted the event company and initially reserved 20 places thinking every one of my friends were as brave or crazy as me. However, I was wrong! Despite that, we still managed to fill 10 places and the event was to take place on 24th August and out time slot was between 9.30am and 10.30am.
The day arrived and our team of twelve put on their purple SoBS tee-shirts, some of the ladies also had purple and blue in their hair, and we were ready to go.
The weather could not have been better, beautiful sunshine, clear skies with no wind. Many of our friends and sponsors made the trip to Liverpool to cheer us on despite it being 9.30am. We went up in pairs on to the platform 150 feet above, there was no turning back! There was music playing and friends and other spectators cheering and waving as we made our way down. It was thrilling and exciting (I wanted to do it a second time!) but also very frightening to some of our brave team but we did it!
I was so proud of them all, especially those who put their fear behind them and did it because they believe that SoBS is such a worthwhile charity. Altogether we raised somewhere just over £3000 for our Stockport Group and for the charity as a whole.
Covid – 19 has put a stop to many fundraising events, but has not me! In September 2020 I did a solo 30km Trek from my home into the hills of The Peak District and raised £805. Around the same time my Son Martin has took the plunge and swam with Sharks raising a further £1,110 for SoBS!
In April 2021 I will be taking on 30 days of different walks in support of 30 Miles for 30 Years of SoBS. The 16th of April 1991 is the day this wonderful charity came into being. Like most people, I never in my life thought I would need support from any charity that helps and supports people who have lost a loved one to suicide or been affected by suicide. From September 2014 til July 2018, the Manchester Group gave me support after my beautiful daughter Shirley took her own life. She was 40 years old. After 3 years and feeling a little bit stronger, I went through with the necessary training and opened the Stockport Group to give to others, the help that had been given me. So for 30 days, I will dress up in some borrowed fancy dress stuff and run, walk, skip, jump, hula hoop and dance my way around Furness Vale, New Mills and Whaley Bridge to raise funds but mainly to bring awareness to others that help and support is available to those trying, with courage to forbear the complicated grief that losing a loved one to suicide causes. Look out for me as I wander around incognito! Give me a shout or a wave or a beep as you pass.
I will need to get my thinking cap on for future events, my body tells me a coffee morning would be good. My problem is, my mind believes I am much younger and I have to admit that I am a bit of a daredevil or maybe I am just plain crazy. Either way, I will be fundraising again and between now and then, will continue to carry on with the awareness promotions and making our precious charity seen wherever I can.
Sponsor Wyn in her #30milesfor30years challenge here
We are so proud of our fundraising hero Wyn and cannot wait to share her future events!
Since losing our son Jonathan to suicide in May 2011, we have done quite a lot of fundraising. We have held boot sales, stalls at fetes, skydives and many, many raffles.
In 2005 we tragically lost Fee – beloved wife and mother, when she took her own life. The shock and loss was enormous and it wasn’t until 2009 when we discovered Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide. This charity has helped all three of us, in different ways, in coming to terms with such a painful loss. It is a loss that you never get over, but their involvement in our lives has helped us to move on but not forget.