Having worked in children's mental health for many years, I witness first hand the distress that some young people find themselves in... and sometimes this leads to thoughts of wanting to end their life. Every young person deserves to have somewhere to turn when this happens, and PAPYRUS are a key source of support for many with their HOPELINE247. But this is under threat. Funds are needed urgently to keep this service running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I am fundraising along with my mental health colleagues who work in children and families' social care by walking 24.7km every week throughout April

For the first time in their 28-year history, PAPYRUS is launching an emergency appeal to keep HOPELINE247 running through the night. Without urgent support, they may have to make the devastating decision to cut back their services.

Every three minutes, a young person in distress reaches out to HOPELINE247, PAPYRUS' suicide prevention helpline. These calls, texts, and messages come during their darkest hours—often in the middle of the night, when other services aren’t available to them.

Since extending HOPELINE247 to operate 24/7 last year, demand has surged. In 2024 alone, PAPYRUS had 12,000 life-saving interactions during the night and saw a 66% increase in the number of young people seeking help through the webchat service. HOPELINE247 is vital and life saving but rising costs and a sharp drop in donations across the charity sector have brought them to a critical moment and I want to help.

Thank you