Three dads begin new challenge for suicide awareness

Mike Palmer, Andy Airey and Tim Owen all lost their daughters to suicide

Three fathers have begun a third hiking challenge aimed at preventing more young people from taking their own lives.

Known as Three Dads Walking, Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen will travel 500 miles from Stirling to Norwich.

Since losing their daughters to suicide, the men have raised more than £1m for suicide prevention charity Papyrus.

Mr Airey, from Morland, Cumbria, said "so many people get back to to us and say it has helped them".

During their walking challenges, the men are often visited by people who have struggled with their mental health and want to talk to them.

Mr Airey, who lost his 29-year-old daughter Sophie to suicide in 2018, said: "There is hope out there so let's get people talking.

"That is all we can ask for."

Lucy Greener said the Three Dads had made it easier to talk about suicide

Lucy Greener, a 20-year-old student from Kendal, said the charity helped her when her best friend took her own life when they were both teenagers.

“I have experienced suicidal thoughts – which is obviously the worst point that I have ever been at, and it’s tough, it’s really tough to get out of," she said.

Ms Greener said she had never seen anything on the news about suicide until the Three Dads Walking appeared, and they made it easier to talk about the subject with friends.

“People have started having open conversations about their mental health, because of the Three Dads,” she said.

Garreth Smith said speaking to the three dads gave him hope

Garreth Smith, from Windermere in the Lake District, said speaking to the three dads had helped him when he contemplated suicide after the death of his wife.

"I’ll never forget Andy and the other dads for just listening to me on the side of a hill in the middle of nowhere," he said.

They gave him "hope" and "life", he said.

“I think that’s what I’ve seen from the Three Dads, you can live with it, it’s not nice but you’ve got to live with it because the other option isn’t worth anything.”

Mr Palmer, from Sale, Greater Manchester, whose daughter Beth died in 2020, said he and the other dads were "driven" by hopes of making a difference.

"We believe that we have put some changes in place and there is more awareness," he said.

"People will not have to go through what our families are still going through now."

'Wish we had known'

Some of the money they have raised is being spent by Papyrus on extending its helpline to 24 hours a day.

"But wouldn't it be great if we could get the Hopeline 247 known in every corner of the UK?" Mr Palmer said.

The third dad in the walking group, Mr Owen, from Shouldham, Norfolk, said: "So many people didn't know about Papyrus — we didn't know about Papyrus."

His daughter Emily died in 2020 when she was 19.

The charity was "there to help", but the dads had not known it existed when they needed it, he said.

"We wish we had known about that service, so the more people who know about this, the better."

Three Dads Walking's latest challenge is expected to finish on 11 May.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.