Two supercars and a moving performance by a male voice choir helped kick off the Baton of Hope's relay across Tyneside on Tuesday.
Organised locally by Jayne Walsham - herself a mum bereaved when daughter Jodi died by suicide in 2021 - the relay has taken in locations from Whitley Bay's Spanish City and the Sage in Gateshead, and is set to conclude at St James' Park. Part of a huge national relay designed to boost suicide awareness and remember those who have been lost, the relay began in Northumberland Park in North Shields at around 8am.
Shortly before 9am, Charlotte Fenwick, whose brother Daniel Rogers died 18 months ago, delivered the baton to the Spanish City. Charlotte, 33, spoke of how vital it was to raise awareness, telling ChronicleLive: "I heard about the event through the charity Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS). I lost my brother Daniel 18 months ago, he was just 33. He had struggled with his mental health for a long time.
"But I think his death had been preventable - and I think events like this are really important. I try to get involved in everything I can to make a difference."
In recent months, Charlotte has attended support groups run by the Whitley Bay branch of charity SOBS. The local branch was set up by the Oxley family, after they experienced bereavement by suicide themselves around five years ago.
Gill Oxley, who's husband died by suicide, told ChronicleLive: "It's a really important occasion and it was really nice to be invited and to get the chance to share information about what we do and the support we offer. We provide peer-to-peer support for those bereaved by suicide - provided by those bereaved by suicide."
Ahead of the event, Jayne Walsham explained why she has been dedicated to raising awareness of suicide and highlighting the charity support that could stop others going through what she has.
She said she wanted to ensure people know how they can find help, before it is too late. She said: "We lost our daughter Jodi to suicide in January 2021. She was my only child and from that moment on I made it my reason to live to stop anybody else from going through what Jodi went through."
.Jayne explained that during the time when Jodi was poorly, she had found it incredibly difficult to find support - whether from a GP or mental health NHS trust. She added: "After we lost her, I started researching - and it turns out there are so many mental health charities out there, but unless you look for them properly you wouldn't know. And so another thing I have hoped to do is to showcase those charities, many of whom I know would have been able to help Jodi."
She added: "I believe everyone needs to unite and support suicide prevention to really make a difference. Suicide is the biggest killer of young people in this country and we need to start talking about it."
Wendy Burke, North Tyneside Council's director of public health added: "It's a really important opportunity not just to remember those who have been lost to suicide and those who have been bereaved, but also for us to think about how we prevent future suicides from happening.
"That's why it's really important to raise the issue of suicide, get people talking about suicide, and to get people talking about prevention."
The Baton of Hope Relay was co-founded by Mike McCarthy, who himself was bereaved by suicide. Tuesday June 27 has seen a day of events across Newcastle and North Tyneside, with charities such as If U Care Share, Tyneside and Northumberland Mind, and Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide all involved.
