Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In August 2022, my oldest friend took his own life. Other than to a very small number of those closest to him, what he had been going through before that point was extremely difficult to recognise, until it was too late.

All of us suffer with issues relating to our mental health to varying degrees, but particularly among men today it is still highly stigmatised to talk about this. In fact, around 40% of men have never spoken to anyone about their mental health, and the same percentage say it would take thoughts of suicide or self harm before they seek professional help. It is no surprise then that of the 115 people in the U.K. that die by suicide every week, 75% are men. They were all fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, partners, colleagues and friends taken too early. These staggering statistics are indicative that there is still a huge problem in addressing this subject in our society today, which needs to change.

With that in mind, one year after my friend’s passing, I will be fulfilling a long time ambition and getting in the ring to support this very worthy cause. Both he and I had been avid boxing fans since a young age, and it felt like an appropriate way to raise awareness of this topic and also to honour his memory. I would be highly appreciative of your support, and would love to see you there on the night.

Thanks,

Denis