We have 5 sons, Harv was the middle one. Ginger hair and a fiery temper to go with it. You can see from the picture what a happy little boy he was, always smiling and he loved life. He started to have problems at school, we think social media played a big part in it. He started by saying he didn’t want to go to school and it escalated. He was so unhappy and could not see anything positive and he told us regularly that he didn’t want to be here and after a few years of hell we came to darkest day of our lives when he finally took his own life. We tried so hard to help him, he had a big family around him and everyone did everything to try and convince him of how loved and wanted he was and what a great life he had ahead of him but it wasn’t enough. There was little help available, sadly the mental health provisions available are nowhere near good enough and because towards the end he turned 18, we had the ridiculous problem of being caught between child and adult services. Our lives and the lives of Harvey’s 4 brothers will never be the same again. It is so hard to think that someone we loved so much is gone. One of hardest things to deal with when you lose a child is the feeling that there is no longer anything you can do for them and this is what drove us to throw ourselves into something positive in Harv’s name. As a company DWG host an annual charity golf day. This year is our third event and once again as in the first two years, we will be donating a proportion of the money raised to The Matt Palmer Trust. Through what we have gone through as a family, we have got to know the founders of The Matt Palmer Trust. Matt also took his own life and the trust was set up by a bunch of his close friends. We have also met Matt’s Mum and Dad which has been a great comfort. They strive to make a difference by training people on their Mental First Aid courses which is a practical solution to get people talking about mental health in the workplace and learn tools and techniques for supporting those around them. They also fundraise for charities like Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) which is leading a movement against suicide, the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK and the cause of 18 deaths every day. They also support Sport in Mind which is a health sports charity using sport and physical activity to help aid the recovery of people experiencing mental health problems. If this small thing that we do each year, saves someone and their loved ones from going through what we have gone through then we will feel we have done something positive for Harvey.

As a teenager I remember vividly to this day the day my mum had a breakdown and seeing the ambulance arrive for her. Anxiety and depression became a big part of our lives growing up. Mum struggled but you would never know to speak to her. I firmly believe that anxiety played a huge huge role in Mum's cancer going undiagnosed. Meditation and exercise were her "go to" coping mechanism at all times. She was so good at giving advice but never put her own needs first. She had a selfless quality. Supporting the Matt Palmer Palmer Trust ties in with my wanting to understand the underlying illness that controlled not only my mum's life but our lives growing up and to make a positive change. It was something that happened but we didn't really speak about. To know that Harv also struggled in so many similar ways to my mum at such a young age is heart wrenching. I see daily the raw strength that my very good friends Nick and Lisa show going about their daily lives. Some days will always be more challenging but still they manage to confront every day in a positive manner. As a mum I see the struggles my teenagers face everyday not only with school life but also with the general pressures of being a teenager. The impact that social media has on their mental wellbeing is huge. I worry constantly and this worry often feels like a huge burden. How we as parents are supposed to stay steps ahead or even recognise the complexities of issues that they face in this cyber world seems so very daunting. There doesn't ever appear to be any downtime. I suppose the same can even be said of the modern working world. We need to be able to switch off the technology, but we live in a world of fear of rejection and missing out, to the extent that screen time is now considered an addiction. The work that The Matt Palmer Trust does to help others recognise the tell tale signs of anxiety and depression, particularly through their mental health ambassador scheme is amazing. My mum found her second wind when she had her grandchildren and always seemed to be content in their company. Like us she worried about the impact that technology would play in their lives as they grew up. Demelza house was a charity that was literally on her doorstep that meant the world to her and the respite care and sadly palliative care and counselling that they provide are hugely important. No child should ever pass before their parent in the ideal world. Thank goodness that the work of these charities exist, driven by our existence in a real world where we are sadly not immune to hurt