Thanks for taking the time to visit my fundraising page.

At the beginning of November 2022, my 31-year-old cousin Joshua Van Leader committed suicide after several years of suffering from severe mental health. I want to fundraise for Mind charity so that more people can be helped who suffer from this insidious and pernicious disease of the mind. 

I was 16 years older than Joshua but spent lots of time with his parents Aunty Mary and Uncle Mark, they were a big part of my youth and very influential throughout my life. In truth, it had been 15 years since I last saw Joshua, so I never really knew him as an adult. I left home to go to university, joined the Army, and never really went back home. 

Two weeks after learning of his death I visited his parents, my aunt, and my uncle. I was somewhat trepidatious as I had not seen them for so many years, but I needn't have been as they both welcomed me back to their home with open arms and it was as if I had never left. Joshua lived an amazing life, he was popular (45000 followers on Instagram), creative, gregarious, and beautiful. He was a model, a fashion designer, a writer, and an artist. He traveled extensively, wrote 3 books, and leaves behind an extensive collection of artwork.

The devastation Joshua's death has wreaked on his immediate family (including his brothers and sisters) was very difficult for me to see, so I want to do something to show them (and Joshua) how much I care. 

What is obvious to me is that even if families do not see each other often, their deep-rooted connections and love are everlasting. 

 For Joshua x