Since Naomi died by suicide in Sept 2021 our family have received amazing support from The Russ Devereux Headlight Project, through their one to one counselling sessions and hub support groups and EMDR therapy. They also aim to reduce the number of deaths by suicide in the North East, delivering preventative education and training to schools, local businesses and the community. 

Naomi was an amazing person, who brightened the lives of everyone she met through her smile, her passion, her creativity, her energy (often exhausting!), her musicianship, her cakes and her generous spirit. She was always compassionate and proactive about helping those less fortunate than herself, and she achieved a remarkable amount in her 29 years. Her incredible spirit continues to inspire us, igniting new interests and directions as we live on, thankful that she was part of our lives and always will be.   

A group of our Naomi community took part in this year's Stokesley Charity Bike Ride to raise funds for The Headlight Project. About 40 of us, who knew and loved Naomi, had a wonderful sunny morning, cycling the 30 mile ride around the North Yorkshire countryside together with around 320 cyclists of all ages. This year was the 25th anniversary of the event, and Julia, Naomi's Mum, has loved the annual ride for over 20 years. Christopher and Naomi and Oliver gradually joined in the ride over the years and it became such a community family and friends event for them each year. Paul Mackintosh and his team have organised it so brilliantly for 25 years and have raised so much money and awareness for local charities.

This weekend has been another milestone along our journey of grief as we learn to live without Naomi. She loved cycling and she was with us in spirit this year. One of her friends joined us who had shared cycling adventures with her in France in their student years, and another was her cycling buddy for their challenge of Lands End to John O' Groats in 2014. Some friends came for whom this event has maybe sparked a new interest and that is so typical of Naomi and she would love that! There were family friends, her piano pupils, all ages, whose lives she touched..... Next week Christopher and Julia are going to cycle on the Isle of Mull where Naomi spent her last cycling holiday with herself and her bike.

Our family are passionate about raising awareness of mental health and suicide and helping others to be open about loss and our individual journeys of grief. We want to raise money for the Headlight Project to say thank you and to give back to them, so that they can continue to support many more people in the future. The more we talk about Naomi and our loss, the more we realise how many others have been touched by suicide. It is too many.........

Thank you for helping to support others through your donation.