We are four families united by the deep personal loss we have all felt, which has driven us with commitment and deep passion to do everything in our power to STOP the "silent emergency of suicide".
Our four treasured loved ones - Callum, Lily Mae, Jake and Ben - who felt they could no longer go on, felt it too difficult to live another day... and therefore tragically ended their own lives.
Each family has chosen a charity and YoungMinds are the chosen charity of Callum’s family. We felt that if Callum had found YoungMinds he might very well be alive today. We think YoungMinds' presence and the way they use social media is engaging for young people, and the channels of media which they use are again the preferred choices of young people. We love the work they do in schools and we hope by fundraising we can help them do more.
How are you fundraising?
Our fundraising activity is The West Highland Way - 96 miles from Milgavie to Fort William encompassing quiet lochs, impressive mountains, hills and glens, with a total of a 3000m ascent (that’s 10,000ft). We completed this stunning trail over five days, starting on 24 April 2023.
On 24 April, our four families from across the country united in an incredible challenge which saw them travel 96 miles on foot in memory of loved ones who lost their lives to suicide. The group is made up of the parents, siblings, aunties, uncles, grandparents and friends of Lily Mae Sharp, Callum Scrimgeour, Jake Robertson and Ben Smart, who all sadly ended their lives. Each young person had a specific day of the challenge dedicated to them, with all families choosing a charity close to their hearts to walk in aid of. On the fifth and final day, the families and joining supporters walked in honour of every life lost to suicide.
Callum’s family travelled from Glasgow where Callum grew up and from Cornwall. Ben’s family travelled from their home in Burntwood Staffordshire where Ben grew up. Lily Mae was from Sandbach in Cheshire and her family travelled from Sandbach, Northamptonshire and France to unite in the walk.
Jake was living in Newmarket when he took his life and had grown up in St Columb in Cornwall. Jake’s family travelled from Cornwall with friends to join the other three families.
The families were also joined by Mike Palmer of the 3 Dads Walking group, who was delighted to join 4 Families Walking and accompanied the group for four out of the five days, leaving only on the Tuesday to meet the Prime Minister with fellow dads Andy and Tim.
We were also joined by Tommy Boyd MBE who is a former Scottish international footballer. He played for Motherwell, Chelsea and Celtic. Tommy joined us on day one of the walk and again was delighted to be part of our journey.
Callum’s family chose YoungMinds as their charity as they believe their social media presence is appealing to those in need whether that be young people struggling, parents, or those worried about someone with a potential mental health issue.
Why is mental health important to you?
Awareness and prevention of suicide and how we can make suicide a thing of the past is at the heart of the message of 4 Families Walking.
Speaking about suicide saves lives and that is what we are trying to do.
We feel that mental health needs to be given priority in our schools, colleges, workplaces and talked about openly without stigma or judgement.
We lost four beautiful souls because they were unable to talk about their mental health. Suicide is the biggest killer of under 35s and we feel this is unacceptable.
