Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In August I will be taking on the world-famous Tour du Mont Blanc and raising money for this amazing charity. The 170km trek around the highest mountain in the Alps will take me through 3 countries and take just under 2 weeks to complete!

Chris's House is a small charity in Scotland that is very close to my heart and it would mean the world to me if you would help me raise vital funds so they can continue their life-changing (and saving) work.

About Chris's House.

Chris’s House stands for ‘Centre of Help, Response and Intervention Surrounding Suicide’ and has been set up to offer a safe environment where people in, or approaching, suicidal crisis can have a safe place to go and get professional support. It is the first 24-hour, non-medical crisis centre in Scotland offering integrated support.

Chris's House services are FREE and offered to all sections of the community, by volunteers from the community.

How your support can help:

£30

will allow Chris's House to offer somebody a Reiki session.

£60

will allow Chris's House to offer somebody a counselling session.

My Story -

While I’ve taken care to avoid triggering language, this topic is difficult. Please prioritise your own well-being as you read.

Learning About Vicarious Trauma the Hard Way

The first time I heard of “Vicarious Trauma,” or secondary trauma as it's sometimes called, was when I was told that’s what was happening to me. I wasn’t a war veteran or a first responder—or any roles often associated with this condition. I was a charity link worker tasked with making sure people knew about the support available in their community and helping them access it.

The term "bereaved" usually implies a close relationship, like family or friends. I wasn’t related to the person who died by suicide; we weren’t friends or colleagues. I was their link worker. But this person bared their soul to me. They had a partner and a daughter, and I desperately wanted to help them get the support they needed. To me, their death felt like a bereavement.

The Invisible Impact of Suicide

The impact of that loss didn’t hit me immediately—it crept up over the weeks. At the time, I had no awareness of Vicarious Trauma, and no one around me did either. I didn’t know the warning signs or how to protect myself. When I went to my doctor, the locum I saw asked me,

I wanted help; I was frightened, and I didn't know what to do.

By the time I was in crisis, I was shuffled between my workplace's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and my local mental health team, ending up on a waiting list.

It was only through a small, local suicide intervention charity that I finally got the help I needed. I only knew about them because of my job, and I went to them as a last resort, I didn’t think people like me were the main priority. Yet, they immediately recognised the signs and started me on specialised trauma therapy the same day. The effect was immediate, and over the following weeks, the therapy brought me back to the person my family and I recognised.

Why We Need to Talk About This

Six years later, I’m still frustrated by how little we discuss Vicarious Trauma, how limited and reductive the available information is, and why we aren’t ensuring that EVERYONE affected by suicide knows where the support is.

If you’ve been bereaved by suicide, I hope you take some comfort in knowing that there are people who care about you, even if you don’t know them.

I often think about the young lady who lost her parent. She’s likely around 18 years old now. She has no idea that I exist, but I think of her often. I hope she’s surrounded by love and support and excited about all the possibilities of her future. And if she ever struggles, I hope the people in her life won’t hesitate to speak up, encourage her to seek help and tell her exactly where to find it.

Walking the Tour du Mont Blanc: Because We Can Climb Mountains

Okay, so technically, I'm walking around the mountain, but that's not as catchy is it!

My aim is to raise double the cost of the therapy that turned my life around and pay it forward for the next person in need. As well as making sure that everybody knows about Chris's House.

And please, don't shy away from talking about World Suicide Prevention Day this September.

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