Seb is running the Manchester Marathon for BAGS FOR STRIFE

Will and Seb Hughes is raising money for BAGS for Strife
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Adidas Manchester Marathon 2023 · 16 April 2023 ·

Absolutely nothing prepares you for loss by suicide. For all of us who set up the charity, it’s so important to do something in honour & in memory of those we lost, and we can only hope through our own experience, we can offer some support through the darkest of days. We reached out to friends and family who all have experienced loss in this way and asked them to describe their most prominent emotions in the following months. The common feelings were Blame, Anger, Guilt and Sadness. Why? We were struck by the lack of accessible support for families and friends in the aftermath of loss by suicide and having reached out to others who have been through similar circumstances, we realised that our experience was not unique. Whilst there are a range of services “out there”, the issue appears to be a lack of knowledge/accessibility/geographical variation/timeliness of these. In response, we have subsequently established BAGS for Strife – a charity that is steered and led by a group of people with their own lived experience of suicide and its aftermath. What? We know that everyone’s experience of grief and loss is unique. Some people may want help in the first few days to navigate their way through the practical elements that must be faced, others may want to reach out for emotional support, and some may stumble and fall weeks or months or years after their tragedy. BAGs will provide practical and emotional support both for the short and long term.

Story

In 2019 Seb's girlfriend lost her sister, Kat, to suicide while they were part of the way through an incredibly ill-timed year of travelling. They instantly rushed back to the UK (picking up multiple speeding fines in Italy & France in the process) so that Olivia could be with her family at what was a truly horrible time. After 8 months of grief, the pressures of COVID and long-standing depression, her dad unfortunately followed and took his life in July 2020.

Off the back of this, the family have established a brilliant charity to provide the support, guidance & resources which they felt were lacking in the aftermath of losing both their sister/daughter & dad/husband. 

BAGS FOR STRIFE is a charity set up by people who have lost loved ones to suicide. They have all experienced Blame, Anger, Guilt and Sadness. Now they want to share what helps them, to help those whose journey has just begun. You can find a bit more info about BAGS FOR STRIFE on the website here (https://www.bagsforstrife.co.uk).

They have already sent out their Bags of Help to families across the country who are dealing with the impossible grief of losing a loved one to suicide.

Now the 'fun' part...

Having run no more than 10k in one go before, Seb will be running the Manchester Marathon on 16th April 2023 to raise money for BAGS FOR STRIFE.

Please donate what you can to this vital and personal cause to give me the motivation to drag myself to the finish line...I'll need it!

NOTE: My brother, Will, is unfortunately no longer joining me on the run due to a serious knee injury. I have had the injury independently verified and can confirm that he is sadly not making it up.


Donation summary

Total
£6,424.52
+ £1,147.50 Gift Aid
Online
£5,424.52
Offline
£1,000.00

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