I’ll be taking on the 2025 Suicide&Co 36k Challenge in memory of Sam who we heartbreakingly lost to suicide on 31st December 2020, aged 20. I will be walking 36km on World Suicide Prevention Day 10th September 2025.

Sam was selfless, ridiculously funny and deeply loved. His absence is felt every day and this walk is one way I can honour his life, the impact he had on everyone lucky enough to know him and to ensure his memory never fades.

I will start and finish my route in Fitzhead, the village Sam grew up in and where he was laid to rest. We used to walk back and forth from Cotford, and it’s a journey filled with so many happy memories. The time Sam and Matt became the parents of a baby rabbit they found on the side of the road who they called Indie. Walking back from the bus and spending evenings sitting on my garden swing talking about the future whilst eating too many ice poles. Walks spent picking me countless daffodils.

The 36k Challenge represents the 36,000 people in the UK who are newly bereaved by suicide every single year.

That's 36,000 people left navigating pain, grief, confusion, and silence — people like me, and so many others. This number reflects the deep, wide-reaching impact suicide has not just on those we lose, but on everyone left behind. Suicide&Co is aiming to raise £36,000 to support these people through counselling, information, and dedicated bereavement services.

I’m also walking for my best friend April and her little girl Mya. As Mya grows up, I want her to live in a world where it's okay to talk about mental health, grief, and healing — and where support is freely available when it's needed most. Mya is still only little, but there may come a time when she needs help navigating her own grief. I want Suicide&Co's free counselling service to be there for her, just as it is for so many others.

This 36km walk is a challenge in itself, made even harder as I live with a condition called POTS. POTS makes it difficult for my body to regulate my heart rate, blood pressure and temperature. However, this is nothing compared to the strength it takes to live with loss or to reach out when you're struggling.

I’m doing this for Sammy.

For April and Mya.

For Jo, Kelly and Kelly’s loved ones.

For Isaac and Ella.

For Kieran (Alec) Channing and Ali L.

For anyone who’s lost someone too soon.

And for those who may still be struggling in silence.

If you can donate, share, or simply read this and remember someone you love — thank you. You’re helping break the stigma, raise vital funds, and show that nobody has to face suicide grief alone.

Thank you for your support. 💛