Heart of a Lion, Spirit of a Dove.

Callum was declared missing in action, presumed dead as a result of combat action early in November 2024 while defending Ukraine. His unit have described him as the bravest of the brave, a true hero, with the heart of a lion and the spirit of a dove.

We are devastated at the loss of our son, but very proud of the impact he has made even though his life was short. Callum learnt how to stand up to bullies and then fight with love, strength and incredible bravery against those who bully others in order to protect us all - It is an honour to be his parents.

We hope his brave personal mission can continue by raising funds to support others through anti-bullying and wellbeing workshops and training programmes, mentoring and counselling delivered by BulliesOut.

Their vision is to empower and inspire children, young people and adults to overcome bullying behaviour, recognise their self-worth and achieve their full potential.

Callum’s Story.

A beautifully kind, sensitive and loving child, with a strong moral compass, Callum was at times badly bullied by his peers.

Despite working with his schools, this eventually impacted him so seriously that he required mental health support and moved to a school that could provide more time and understanding.

He not only vowed that he would never let bullies hurt him again, but he’d never let anyone abuse, oppress or hurt anyone around him either.

He started asking,

“Why do we let other countries ‘bully’ other countries or hurt their own people?”

It was a question as parents we could not answer.

He decided that if he joined the UK armed forces he might be able to protect and help people around our world. Having received support for mental health, this complicated the process and instead he worked as a carer in the community and for the NHS at the local hospital.

He made an impact to many, but to him, it wasn’t enough when he could see the terrible actions happening to people in Ukraine. He told us that he could not bear the thought of ever looking back on his life realising he’d simply stood by and done nothing to help.

He said,

“Whatever the cost, we must never let bullies win. If we don't stand up and show that it matters, they simply won’t stop.”

In early November his defensive position in Eastern Ukraine was attacked. Under intense fire, he refused to surrender and stood up for us all until his body could fight bullies no more.

Why Bullies Out?

There are over 10 million children and young people in the UK and 1 in 4 regularly report being bullied. One in three adults are bullied at work. 60% of young people and 40% of adults report being bullied online.

Callum would be proud of how BulliesOut makes a huge impact with every £ it receives through its small dedicated team, workshops, mentoring and information hubs.

Bullying hurts and we won’t stop until it stops.