On the evening of the 18th November I received a message. A message that at first I doubted was even real, I just couldn’t believe it was true. It was the news that a dear friend, Cpl Richard Mclellan, had taken his own life. I hadn’t managed to see him in recent times due to our lives moving all around the world but I was crushed by this news. The worst news you can hear. So much raced through my mind; the thought of his wife Megan and his lovely little lad George, his brother Matt, sister-in-law Jade and his beautiful nieces Phoebe and Kaitlyn, his Mum and Dad, all of his oldest and bestest friends, his work colleagues… my mind spiralled thinking about the many, many people who would feel the loss of losing him from the world.

Any death is obviously incredibly sad, but when a person leaves by suicide, it feels even more tragic, leaving us asking ourselves the inevitable questions; what could I or any of us have done to have kept them on this earth? Why didn’t they talk to someone? Did we fail them? The gut wrenching fact is that so many people suffer in silence and their loved ones didn’t know how much they were struggling until it was too late.

But this needs to change.

We need to make the message loud and clear, that it is OK to talk about how we feel, that it is OK to reach out and ask for help. That there are organisations out there that can provide advice or a safe space to talk about your mental health.

So, with that being said I am going to (hopefully!!) complete a challenge in honour of my friend, and those who have also lost their fight with mental health. I want to raise awareness for men’s mental health and to raise funds for an organisation that supports RAF families in times of need, as Richard was a serving Cpl in the RAF with General Engineering Flight at RAF Leeming.

On the 2nd March 2024 I will be taking part in the Gym to Gym half marathon from Epi to Aki, which is approximately 13.1 miles. Now, I’m definitely not fit enough to run it but I’m going to walk it.

And hopefully finish when it’s still daylight!!

Any funds raised will be split equally between Andy’s Man Club and The RAF Benevolent Fund, hence it being done via a Crowdfunding route. I have never done anything like this before, I mean, maybe a sponsored silence! Which I’m sure those who know me will realise how hard that was to complete! But this is a big one, a lot of effort needed to make it to the end, but for such worthy causes. So please give whatever you can, if you can.

Please see these links below for more information about the organisations I’m raising funds for, you can find out about all the good work they do.

I have also included the tribute that RAF Leeming posted about Ric before his funeral. Everyone has so many memories or funny stories to tell, and if you want to share any on your donation message then please do. It’s clear to see that he was a well loved, truly respected and wonderfully unique lad. I’m so lucky and proud to have known him.

You are missed so much luv.

https://andysmanclub.co.uk

https://www.rafbf.org

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