YoungMinds is the UK's leading charity championing the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. Driven by their experience, YoungMinds creates change so that children and young people can cope with life's adversities, find help when needed and succeed in life.

On Wednesday 17th September 2025, our daughter Lily, 18, would leave home and never return.

Despite efforts to locate Lily by Leicestershire Police, Search and Rescue teams, family and friends, Lily's body was found in the afternoon of the 18th September.

Lily had taken her own life.

Lily had been diagnosed with anorexia at the age of 12 and had been hospitalised as a result. In her later teenage years, it was found that she was also autistic.

Despite everything Lily had gone through and was going through, she excelled in education, and gained Grade 9 & 8's in her GCSE's and also completed a 2 year Sports Coaching and Development course at Loughborough College. Her final grade was a triple distinction, which is the highest grade possible for the course.

She was a beautiful and intelligent young woman, and was loved by us all.

The emotional pain is something I could not even explain to anyone. The sadness, guilt and emptiness is difficult to deal with.

In the days and weeks following her death, I couldn't but help thinking that I didn't want other people to go through this pain, loss and devastation that follows losing a loved one through suicide.

This is why I wanted to challenge myself and do something to raise money for the charity YoungMinds. I had begun to plan the bike ride myself but once my work colleagues and friends heard about my idea, they too wanted to join me in this challenge to cycle the 159 miles from Slinfold in West Sussex to Leicester in one day.

Thank you to Rob Cattrall for supporting me and helping me organise the ride.

I also want to thank my employer AJW, who have been incredibly supportive since Lily's death and have offered to support this challenge for such a great cause.

Completing the ride with me will be, Pete Trott,Siimon Bryant, Roland Orosz, Alex Turner, Jacob Briggs, Joshua Jackson, Steven Norman and Kieron Palajegan. Thank you guys for putting your name down for this.

We are all currently training for this challenge and any donations will be greatly appreciated, and will go to a great charity and will help others struggling with mental health.

Thank you!

Wayne