We lost our father unexpectedly in February 2024, and to ease the pain of losing him - We thought as a family we would raise money to help others and spread awareness and the importance of understanding mental health, It can affect anyone even those you least expect...

Here is our fathers story..

He was brought up in a very hardworking family in Limehouse his father worked in a paper mill along with his mum. At the age of 9, he was involved in a road traffic accident, he suffered severe head injuries and was placed into a Coma he also required multiple skin grafts to his leg. He remained in hospital for a year and had to learn to walk again. It was at this stage in his life he found his love of Maths. Eventually at the age of 16 he started work as a post boy, then progressed to a messenger in the City of London, he worked his way up to a gilt-edge manager for Fielding Newson Smith and in 1985 at the age of 35 was headhunted by Merrill Lynch to set up their new Gilt Edge department. He was so successful he boasted that he had an American Express Card just for curries! He loved his job at Merrill Lynch a lot! But before all that hard work he travelled – and travelled the world he did! - Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, America any many more- You name it the man went everywhere his old Passport is full of stamps. Dad was a walking talking encyclopaedia one of the reasons why mum fell in love with him any question you asked him he would know the answer. However, at the age of 42 Dad suffered a massive breakdown after losing his mother. Following that breakdown, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder which unfortunately was a result of the brain injury he suffered when he was 9. He was unable to return to the job he loved but even with his mental health condition, he strived to work, and he worked every job he could do to provide for his family from Caretaker, Builder, Painter & Decorator to a Takeaway Driver, He always said he didn’t want his condition to define who he was. He loved to Sing and Dance, and this was his mantra! Reggae was one of his favourites from UB40, Bob Marley to John Holt and many more, as well as loud shirts and Tequila Sunrise Cocktails! His most played song was ‘’Three little Birds’ ‘Don’t worry about a thing, cos everything is going to be alright’

Dad never asked for this condition.

He was just a man who loved to work, strived to be successful and He loved his family very much and didn’t want to talk about his problems – a typical man he felt he needed to shoulder all the responsibilities, and unfortunately it broke him. Mental Health will affect 1 in 4 people today. That is a quarter of the people in this room. It’s important to talk to people and know you are never alone. In this day and age everybody should be able to talk about their problems especially men without stigma.

Everyone in life has their problems but no matter how dark it gets there is always Light in the kindness of others.