Paul Longshaw sadly passed away at his home in Salford on 4th September 2017.

Paul was an inspirational councillor who worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for people in Salford. His particular concern was homelessness, so much so he did voluntary work at night shelters, slept out overnight to raise money and was working closely with the organisation I volunteer with (and how I knew & loved Paul), Coffee4Craig.

Paul hid his depression from his family, friends and colleagues. But it has been reported that in the months leading up to his death, he had become quite distant; people had tried to speak to him but it had been difficult to get things out of him.

My aim since his death is to promote mental health awareness, to help break the stigma and to get people talking. I've chosen to support the charity CALM particularly, as they are a charity dedicated to preventing male suicide, which is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK.

A new friend of mine asked whether I would ever be interested in partaking in a parachute jump, as it is a hobby of hers... ABSOLUTELY NOT. Being somewhat of a control freak, the idea of jumping out of a plane really does make me feel quite uncomfortable. Even writing this, my heart is pounding from my chest! BUT, I think that perhaps this can be my way of showing people that it is OK to step out of your comfort zone for a good cause. Like speaking up when you're feeling down, or reaching out to someone whose behaviour has changed...

IMPORTANT NOTE: As CALM are a fairly small charity, they do not have the money to fund my parachute jump, so part of the sponsorship money raised here will pay for this (approximately £250). Therefore, my minimum sponsorship requirement will be £500 in total - although I am hoping to hit my target of £2,500!