Shouldham's Tim Owen arrives with 3 Dads Walking at Westminster after month trek raising awareness and funds for suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS on World Mental Health Day
Today saw people, organisations and charities mark World Mental Health Day and it was a significant day for three ordinary dads.
Tim Owen, from Shouldham, Andy Airey and Mike Palmer are 3 Dads Walking who are raising suicide awareness across the country one step at a time which has finished today, a month after they started.
The trio set off on their 500 mile walk on September 9, a day before suicide prevention awareness day and during National Suicide Prevention Week.
This is their second walk in memory of their daughters, Emily, Beth and Sophie raising funds and awarenesss for the charity PAPYRUS who support the prevention of suicide in young people.
Their trek across the UK is to spread their message about the statistics of suicide in young people and how the issue needs to be tackled, with the subject of mental health being added to the education curriculum.
They have started a petition to make suicide prevention a compulsory part of the school curriculum and are bringing it to the attention of Parliament.
3 Dads Walking said: "We want suicide spoken about in schools in a safe and age-appropriate way. Speaking about suicide saves lives The Department for Education (DfE) are conducting a review of the curriculum and this petition calls on the DfE to include suicide prevention within the statutory guidelines of the new curriculum."
Some 68,621 signatures have been added to the petition and at 100,000 it will be considered for debate in Parliament.
The three dads have met through the tragic loss of their daughters who took their own lives, and started the walk in Belfast, they have walked for 31 days, eventually completing their trek on World Mental Health Day.
They have had messages and donations from actor Daniel Craig and people have joined them on their walk to talk to them about their own experiences of suicide.
They said: "We are simply 3 Dads taking on a walk in memory of our beautiful daughters. We are so grateful for your support.
"We are close to raising £1,000,000 for PAPYRUS, we can’t stop now."
PAPYRUS is the national charity for the prevention of young suicide who run HOPELINEUK 0800 068 4141 a freephone confidential helpline staffed by trained professionals providing advice, support and information to anyone who is feeling suicidal, or concerned that a young person they know may be at risk.
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