Norfolk dad and two others walk across UK to raise awareness about suicide
'3 Dads walking' finished their 30-day journey in Westminster, today
A Norfolk dad and two others have walked close to 600 miles over the last 30 days, to raise awareness about suicide.
They've travelled by foot across all four nations of the UK. They started in Belfast and arrived in Westminster during the early hours of this morning.
Tim Owens, Mike Palmer and Andy Airey are supporting the charity PAPYRUS and want to get suicide prevention on the national school curriculum.
"One million people are affected by suicide a year"
Tim Owens is from Shouldham and lost his daughter Emily, in March 2020.
He says support like this is needed now more than ever:
"People are going through some really tough times and sometimes those people need support. When you lose somebody to suicide, you feel totally on your own and like an island. You feel like it hasn't happened to anyone else, but it has. There are over six thousand suicides a year in the UK and each one of those suicides affects 135 people- that means that around one million people are affected by suicide a year".
"It's so important especially after what we've all been through"
Mr Owens also told us that they want to get suicide prevention on the school curriculum, as soon as possible:
"We have got some really good backing from Minister and MPs, wishing us well. We got backing from the Department of Education and Health, it's all looking positive- but we're going to be talking about suicide prevention for a whole month. We're not going away anywhere and we think it's so important especially after what we've all been through over the past few years".