I am sure we have all been touched by mental health problems in some way, either in ourselves, our family or friends.   

The 5 September 2019 started like any other ordinary day. I was listening to the radio whilst driving to work and heard all trains had been stopped while police dealt with an incident. I knew what that meant and I took a moment to think about the poor person involved.   

Two hours later, an ordinary day turned into a nightmare when I received a call from my mum to say she had been visited by the police. I was initially confused what the police would want with my mum but before I could ask, I heard her voice crack and the tears flowing. The news was devastating – the person involved in the incident that morning was my brother. The events of that day will stay with me forever.   

It transpired that my brother was severely depressed but hid it from everyone including his family. Sadly he also felt unable to seek help from professionals. One in four people will suffer with a mental health problem each year. In the UK, men are three times as likely to die by suicide than women. The highest suicide rate is among men aged 45-49.   

Even though my brother was unable to seek help for himself, it did not stop him wanting to help others. He asked that the money collected for his leaving gift from his work colleagues be donated to Dorset Mind.   

This has led me to sign up for a charity skydive on 26 September to raise funds for Dorset Mind. My good friend and colleague, Sarah Tilbury (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sarah-tilbury1), has kindly agreed to undertake this challenge with me and jump out of her comfort zone. We have signed up to jump from 15,000 ft (instead of 10,000 ft), meaning 60 seconds of freefall reaching up to 125mph with the hope of raising as much as we can for this great cause. If we can help just one person with mental health problems, it will be worth it.   

Sarah and I ask that you show your support and give what you can to our fundraising. Every penny counts in helping us reach our target.