Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I’ve applied for the London marathon for several years now not only as a personal life achievement but to give me an opportunity to run for a charity that means so much to me, the Samaritans! 

Having my dad commit suicide when I was young has effected me in many ways more so as an adult than when I was a child. I spent years growing up thinking it was the most selfish thing someone could do to leave a wife and 3 children behind and I grew up hating him. At this time I knew very little about mental health and couldn’t understand what would drive someone to do such a thing.

Seeing my siblings struggle with thier own battles as well as facing my own demons over recent years, mainly stems down to the lack of support we received during our childhood. This would have been the same for my dad 27 years ago when mental health just wasn’t talked about.

Although there is much more support for this nowadays, suicide numbers are increasing and statistics show that men are nearly 3 times more likely to take their own lives compared to women.

The stigma and the traditional ‘strong male’ stereotype is the main reason that men don’t feel they can talk about their emotions or struggles and the idea that expressing emotion is a sign of weakness. This has to change!

Social media everyday shows friends struggling with the loss of a brother, sister, mum, dad, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew due to suicide. It’s so important to raise awareness and break the stigma around mental health to support people before it’s too late! 

The Samaritans who I have chosen to run for are an amazing charity with a strong focus on giving people this support. Your donation no matter how small will go a mile in potentially saving someone’s live!  

Thanks for taking the time to read and support! 

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