Mums' Charity Walk To Prevent Young Suicide

3 mothers who lost young sons to suicide hope a national walking challenge will help to spare other families from the agony of losing a child.

Their 265 mile trek will raise awareness of the North West based suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS and promote the help and support which is available to children and young people who are struggling with life.

Liz Hurlstone, from Staffordshire, Kim McCarthy, from Northamptonshire, and Michelle Dore, from Kent, have 3 different stories to tell, each has the same tragic ending.

Liz whose 17 year old son Seb took his own life own life in 2022 explains:-  "Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under the age of 35 in the UK. We only learned this terrifying fact because each of us has lost a son to suicide within the last 4 years. By raising awareness, we hope to prevent other families from suffering such indescribable pain and bring something positive out of the utter devastation of losing a child to suicide."

Their challenge, as Just 3 Mums Walking, began on Friday, 22 September 2023, in support of PAPYRUS which has its head office in Warrington.

The mums have been inspired by the 3 Dads Walking, 3 fathers who each lost a daughter to suicide who then went on to raise more than £1 million for PAPYRUS.

From Liz's home in Staffordshire the 3 mums will head South to Kim McCarthy's home in Northamptonshire. Kim lost her 21 year old son Hayden to suicide in 2019.

Kim told us:- "I discovered the charity PAPYRUS after losing Hayden and from that moment on I just wanted to do whatever I could to help raise awareness of suicide prevention. Many children and young people are really struggling and they see no way out other than to end their own precious lives. This walking challenge will give us, as mums, the chance to make a difference, to show that there is help and support out there and that many young suicides can be prevented,"

The mums will then continue south through London, where Hayden had been living at the time of his death and head towards Kent and the home of Michelle who lost her 17 year old son Maxi to suicide in 2022.

Michelle said:- "We hope that by linking our 3 homes and telling our 3 different stories that we will put a spotlight on the devastating effects of suicide. No child or young person should have to suffer alone with thoughts of suicide. We need to smash the stigma around suicide, encourage families to have open and honest conversations, guide our young people out of the darkness and get them the help they need and deserve."

On route the mums have been invited to visit a number of Schools where they will share their stories and promote suicide awareness.

They aim to complete their challenge in 17 days, finishing their journey on Sunday 8 October at Sir Roger Manwood's School in Sandwich, where Maxi studied.

Every step of the way they will be remembering their sons and supporting the work of PAPYRUS.

Ged Flynn, the charity's chief executive, says their walk will be a life-saver. "Liz, Kim and Michelle have been brought together by the tragedy and trauma of suicide which has shattered their lives and the lives of those around them. As Just 3 Mums Walking they will be able to channel their energy and focus on what they can do to help save young lives. These proud mothers, who are each trying to deal with their own grief in their own way, have found a positive path forward together."

Their website contains moving tributes to their sons, details of the route, a list of generous supporters and how to donate via their JustGiving page.

The website will also allow supporters to track their walk live.

For practical, confidential suicide prevention help and advice please contact:- PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 on:- 08000684141, text:- 07860039967 or email:- Pat@Papyrus-UK.Org.

Edge Hill announces bumper Black History Month programme

STUDENTS have welcomed a bumper programme of events to celebrate Black History Month at Edge Hill University. Staff, students and the community will come together to mark the month with music, food, exhibitions and performances throughout October.

By hosting free events which are open to all, the University will champion equality, diversity and inclusion, and demonstrate its determination to foster a sense of community and belonging for all students and staff at Edge Hill.

Bridget Amo, a volunteer on the University's Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic student advisory panel, described Black History Month as an opportunity to:- "show people they belong."

The nursing student from Ghana said:- "By marking occasions like this the University is showing all staff and students they can say 'this is my home, Edge Hill is my place, I matter.' It's so important to enjoy different cultures and learn about them, and Black History Month is a great way to bring together people from lots of different cultures; to celebrate how similar we are while celebrating the differences."

The programme to celebrate Black joy, culture and achievements includes:-

• A launch event on:- Tuesday, 3 October 2023, featuring authentic African food, performances from Katumba drumming group and the launch of 2 photography exhibitions.
   

• The HAIR exhibition honours the significance and power of Black hair throughout history.
   

• The Descendants by Ean Flanders features portraits of local influential figures; several are Edge Hill alumni or honorary doctors including:- educator and community leader Wally Brown CBE, who will officially open the event, Claire Beerjeraz, who will be performing a spoken word piece, and BBC Radio Merseyside Presenter Ngunan Adamu.
   

• Ashleigh Nugent, named Liverpool City Region's Artist of the Year 2022, will perform 3 chapters from his book LOCKS, on:- Thursday, 5 October 2023, 6.30pm.
   

• Activist Chantelle Lunt, founder of Merseyside Alliance for Racial Equality and a Liverpool town Councillor, will lead an interactive 'Fearless Futures' workshop and discuss her personal story of campaigning for change, on:- Thursday, 12 October 2023, 12pm.
   

• Sociologist and writer Jason Arday, the youngest Black person to become a professor at the University of Cambridge, will share the challenges he faced and how he overcame them on:- Wednesday, 18 October 2023, at:- 5.30pm.

Staff and students will also compete in a sports day event to raise money for Show Racism the Red Card and a new multicultural network for staff will launch, providing a forum to share thoughts and discuss ideas to promote inclusivity and diversity at Edge Hill.

Pro Vice Chancellor Liam Owens added:- "I encourage students, staff and the community to be curious and join us in celebrating the joy, vibrancy and colour of Black culture; we are proud to honour the contribution the Black community has made to our University, the Region and beyond. This month is also a powerful reminder of the continued need for all of us to identify and challenge racism, working together to create a more equitable community which respects our rich diversity. However, exploring these principles isn't confined to just 1 month in October, we pledge to keep up the momentum and to continue championing inclusivity and diversity as part of our core values all year round." 

You can find out more about Black History Month at Edge Hill, the University's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the Edge Hill International Centre on Racism which is dedicated to researching racism in all its forms.