On 8th March this year, I heard the tragic news that my cousin, Andrew, took his life aged 37. He leaves behind a heartbroken group of family and friends.

As my oldest cousin, I always looked up to him. I look back fondly on the time we spent together as we grew up in the same town. I come from a family of two sisters so hanging out with Andrew and his two brothers, Gavin and Ben, was always something I looked forward to. Andrew's sense of fun and rarely being more than a few seconds away from cracking a joke or playing a prank on someone, leaves me with many happy memories.

As we grew up, I saw less of him but I always treasured catching up at various family gatherings and events. He grew up to be a great man: kind, bright and passionate about fighting for social justice, for instance supporting asylum seekers while working at DWP. It meant the world to me that he showed an interest in my running and shared the excitement it brought me as I improved.

In recent years, I knew Andrew hadn't had it easy but I never knew the full extent of what he was dealing with. It saddens me that I couldn't help more but I know those closest to him were with him all the way. That said, this tragic situation highlights the importance of kindness and looking out for one another - you never know what someone is going through.

Andrew was a special guy and his friends and family will be hurting for a long time to come. That's why I want to do my bit to help people suffering with their mental health, in the hope of saving another family from this grief. 

On 23rd April, I'll be running the London Marathon in memory of Andrew so I'd be hugely grateful if you'd donate here for the charity 'Mind'.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.