Norfolk dad to complete week-long charity walk today
'Three Dads Walking' have carried out a 130 mile walk to raise money for a suicide prevention charity
A dad from Norfolk is today completing a week-long, 130 mile walk to raise money for a suicide prevention charity
Tim Owen from Shouldham is part of 'Three Dads Walking' - a group of dads who came together for support and to fundraise after losing their children to suicide.
Tim's daughter Emily died in March 2020.
He, Andy and Mike have spent the week walking the Anglesey Coastal Path fundraising for PAPYRUS, as part of efforts to help the charity keep its emergency support hotline open 24 hours a day.
He tells us: "Every tenner raised could make all the difference and save a life.
"Every penny and pound makes a huge difference.
"It costs £10 for a 15 minute call to Hopeline 24/7, that's the lifesaving helpline that young person can call if they are concerned or need support."
He said the group's had lots of support from locals in Anglesey: "We have often found that in rural communities there's loads of support, sometimes even more than there is in a big town.
"You can walk through a big town and there is a little bit of support, but then walk through a smaller community and then have hundreds if not thousands of people."
More about Hopeline 24/7
Hopeline 24/7 is a lifesaving helpline run by PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.
Up until 2023, it ran from 9am to midnight, but became a 24 hour service in that year, after PAPYRUS raised enough money to train more advisers.
In 2024 PAPYRUS carried out 12,000 lifesaving calls during the night and saw a 66% increase in the number of young people seeking help through its webchat service.
However, this 24/7 service is now under threat, due to a significant a decline in donations, brought on by the rising cost of living crisis.