Family's mental health bid is son's long-term legacy

Joe Lyons was a senior producer at Capital and helped start the Roman Kemp Breakfast Show

The father of an award-winning radio producer who took his own life in 2020 wants mental health to be treated as equally and seriously as physical health.

Ivan Lyons, from Leatherhead, Surrey, started the Joe’s Buddy Line charity with his wife and daughter to create a “memory and long-term legacy” for his son, Joe.

Joe Lyons was a senior producer at Capital and helped start the Roman Kemp Breakfast Show, where the pair became best friends.

Mr Kemp, who is a trustee of Joe’s Buddy Line, made a BBC film - Our Silent Emergency - about the mental health crisis of young men in the UK.

If you've been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.

Joe’s Buddy Line aims to create a whole-school approach to mental health by providing various resources that are suited to a school’s individual needs – all free of charge.

Examples include the "buddy board", which gives children immediate information and advice about who to turn to for help.

It includes the names of at least two members of staff who are qualified to deal with mental health issues.

'Long-term legacy'

The "buddy box" is a more subtle option for children who might be too scared to speak to someone.

They can put a note in the box and within 24 hours it will be picked up by the school and dealt with appropriately.

Mr Lyons said: “If we can make a long-term legacy for Joe, that will help us a family”.

He is one of 32 finalists for the BBC Make a Difference awards.

The pan-BBC initiative is a new iteration of a scheme that BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey started 12 years ago to celebrate unsung community heroes.