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 In Memory of Conor Reece Manly 19 October 1999 – 3 October 2018

In 2018 mental health was at the forefront with what seemed like an epidemic of suicides particularly among young men. In October this was to become more personal with the tragic news that Conor a member of our extended family had taken his own life. I don’t think any of the wider family could ever have imagined there were any problems with Conor, a quiet, polite young man with a cheeky grin.

My nephew, Leigh Hicks and my niece Lauren Warnes, their respective families and sometimes along with other friends went on many camping trips. I always thought they must’ve resembled something like a National Lampoon Vacation film. In December 2017 Leigh and Shona loaded up their gang in Leigh’s Defender and headed to Scotland for a winter holiday, happy days.

We didn’t see much of the family as they lived West of Norwich, quite a distance away from us. It was only apparent with the horrifying news of Conor that he had been suffering with mental health problems and had struggled to get the help he deserved.

Thinking of my own mental health battles and understanding some of the torment Conor went through had a profound effect on me. The grief and heartbreak caused to the family played on my mind and I felt that I wanted to do something to help.

I then had the idea of fundraising for ‘Mind’ charity, too late for Conor but if I could help make a difference to another family it might turn a dire situation into a positive one. I remember in my younger days saying to my husband that I wouldn’t mind doing a tandem skydive to which I think he answered something to humour me like ‘of course you do, it can be arranged’ and then needless to say it was forgotten about.

Maybe now was the time to put that idea into action but first thought it best to check with my GP if he thought I was mentally and physically up to the challenge. Surprisingly, he didn’t think I’d completely lost my marbles so thank you Dr Young at Paston Surgery, North Walsham for your encouragement and generous offer of support from the Surgery, something I really wasn’t expecting.

So the deed is now reality and on Sunday 7 July 2019 at UK Parachuting, Beccles airfield myself and five other brave (or stupid!) volunteers are taking up the challenge of a tandem skydive. Courteney Manly, Vonnie Penvenne, Kimberley Warnes, Paul Furness and Colin Jeckell so good of you to join me. Together we are determined to raise as much money as we can for Norwich and central Norfolk, Mind.

Please support us by visiting our Just Giving page – https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ConorManlySkydive

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Tracy Snowden

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