Dad to row 2,000km after friend took his own life

Tom Mould aimed to row 2,288km (1,422 miles), the distance between Bury St Edmunds and Lisbon, where his friend died

A dad from Cambridge aimed to row more than 2,000km to raise money for a mental health charity.

Tom Mould, 36, was diagnosed with depression after his friend took his own life.

He decided to raise money for Shout, a charity which supports people struggling with their mental health, by rowing indoors.

Shout have said they are "incredibly grateful" for his efforts and funds would go towards running its free mental health text support, available 24/7.

Childhood friends Tom Mould (left) and James Waterhouse (right)

James (left) and Tom (right) were friends for 25 years.

Tom was diagnosed with depression last summer, a year after his friend James Waterhouse, 34, took his own life.

“James and I both grew up in the Bury St Edmunds area," he said.

"I was about nine when I met him. We hit it off immediately and our friendship just grew."

He added: "As a person, he was a fantastic friend - He taught me a lot about loyalty, curiosity and knowledge. He was an in incredibly intelligent guy and was always just such good fun. We had nothing but good times, for sure."

James, from Drinkstone in Suffolk, took his own life in June 2022 while on holiday in Lisbon.

Tom said: "It wasn't until afterwards that we learned he had been going through his own stuff. Which obviously took him to that bad place."

"It is now nearly two years since we lost him, after 25 years of friendship. And we are still trying to come to terms with it."

James Waterhouse, 34, took his own life in June 2022

After his friend died, Tom found things hard and turned to Shout, a UK charity which provides a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone who is struggling with their mental health.

"At Christmas, I felt the worst I’ve ever felt, both mentally and physically - I had to take some action," he said.

"Shout have a brilliant service. I identified with them more than some others because I actually thought they would have been a service that James could have benefitted from.

"I think that what makes them so effective is the power of a text message. It provides a safe place."

He added: "You get to build relationships with the volunteers, but ultimately if it's just too hard to talk about it, you can text. You can write it instead. And that's surprisingly powerful."

Tom embarked on his colossal charity challenge on New Year's Day, 2024.

"James spent his last days in Lisbon, Portugal, so I decided to row the distance between Bury and Lisbon - 2,288.8km, or 1,422.2 miles."

He hopes to raise a total of £4,577.60, or £2 for every km rowed, and has already raised more than £2,000.

Shout are fully behind his venture and said: "We're incredibly grateful to Tom for the remarkable rowing fundraiser.

"Exercise is a great way to boost your wellbeing so we hope he feels the benefits, as he raises vital funds to keep Shout's free mental health text support available 24/7."

He’s rowed on machines at home, at the gym and even in Dorset while staying with family.

He hoped to finish the challenge in Lisbon, Portugal, by summer 2025.

Anyone who is struggling with their mental health can contact Shout, for free, at any time, by texting 85258.

You can donate to Tom’s fundraiser on JustGiving.