We are Henry, Fraser, Harriot and Douglas who are doing the three peaks challenge this summer to raise money in memory of Joe who sadly took his own life at the beginning of this year. We hope in doing this we can help to prevent other people from going through the tragedy of losing someone to suicide. 

Henry's thoughts: Joe had been a friend of mine for many years and losing him feels like losing a part of myself. I remember clearly when we first met in primary 4 he was assigned as my buddy and even though he managed to lose me by first break it didn’t put me off him. I don't think anyone would've guessed it would be the beginning of a friendship lasting for years to come. When our friendship began Joe and I were inseparable and even after our friendship group developed into what it is today we were still just as close and not even moving thousands of miles away could stop our friendship from continuing. No one should have to lose someone to suicide, and I hope in doing this we can come one step closer to making that a reality.

Fraser's thoughts: I was lucky enough to share my secondary school years with Joe as a close friend, this formed a friendship which continued beyond school but one which has tragically been cut short by Joe’s death. Losing Joe has been devastating both for me personally as well as our wider group of friends – it has brought home that sobering statistic of how many young people are lost to suicide each year and it’s proof that more needs to be done to prevent it. I hope that by raising money for PAPYRUS we are not only supporting an amazing organization whose mission it is to prevent suicide in young people but I also hope that by raising awareness and talking about suicide we can make a difference in our own small way to stop even just one more death from suicide.

The covering photo above left to right shows myself, Joe, Lochlainn and Marcus – an inseparable group of friends from school on a recent trip to London which has become one of the last times we were all together as a group of four. Memories like these we will cherish for years to come and offer some comfort as we continue to process Joe’s loss. We miss him greatly.

Harriot's thoughts: Although I was not close friends with Joseph, seeing the effect of his death on my brother and his friends is heartbreaking. I went through a similar experience myself when I lost a friend in my school year to suicide, so I will be taking part in this challenge in memory of Joseph and Anna. As well as raising funds for such an important cause, I hope to encourage those around me to be open about their mental health and reduce the stigma. The work Papyrus does is incredibly important and very close to my heart, please consider donating anything you can and help reduce the number of young lives lost to suicide.

Douglas' thoughts: As Henry’s dad I knew Joe through him. Joe’s death is so sad and the scary statistics of suicide amongst young people are frightening, I hope to make a difference by raising awareness and money for PAPYRUS and supporting the excellent work they do.

PAPYRUS is the national Charity for the Prevention of Young Suicide. Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under the age of 35 in the UK, in 2018 over 1800 young people took their own lives. PAPYRUS provides confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person through their helpline, HOPELINEUK. Every £5 raised can help pay for a life-saving contact to HOPELINEUK. Your donations really are lifesaving, thank you.