I am raising money to help local families avoid the tragedy of suicide, following the death by suicide of my young adult son, Ben.

Ex-Spurs footballer Mickey Hazard set up Legends on the Bench after the suicide of his nephew. They have installed over 100 benches in the UK but none in Stroud yet. Benches have a QR code and printed information leading to support and helplines.

Stroud has lots of open spaces where a bench would help people with suicidal thoughts. Ben always loved Rodborough Common, and did go for solitary walks there whilst he was wrestling with his mental health, so that’s where I’d prefer to site the bench.

In the UK almost 6,000 people die by suicide every year, and this total has remained similar since 1981*, so more is needed to reduce it. Males are 3 times more likely than females to die by suicide. Suicide was the leading cause of death for ages 5-35 in 2022, and we know that about 1 in 5 under 25’s had a probable mental health condition in 2023.** Helping people before they reach crisis point is important. It can happen to any family.

A single bench costs £2,300. If the campaign is oversubscribed we will look at a second bench for Stroud. Please donate now.

* Office for National Statistics

** YoungMinds website