Three Suffolk brothers take a 13,000ft leap supporting mental health, with a charity skydive
Chris Bush and his brothers, Sam and Jonathan Broom, are raising money for Suffolk Mind.
Three Suffolk brothers are preparing to leap from a plane over Beccles, raising money for Suffolk Mind.
Sam Broom, the youngest of the trio, says the idea came about during a conversation with family.
“We were around my dad's on Christmas and all three of us were saying that one day we'd like to do a skydive, and we were with my step sister Nicki Bush at the time. And she said why not do one for Suffolk Mind? So we said.. oh yeah. Let's go for it.”
They’ll be jumping in support of the charity’s Suffolk Work Well Service, where their sister helps people manage mental health challenges in the workplace.
"I just hit my breaking point"
For Sam, the fundraiser is personal, as he's recently had to learn the importance of protecting his own mental health.
"I got signed off (from work) in April for a month. I just hit my breaking point and I needed to take some time out.
"I didn't think I could do my job anymore. (I kept thinking) I wasn't good at my job. I was letting everyone down with my job.
"But I didn't really say it out loud until I hit the point where I just broke down in my girlfriend's arms."
Since then he's been receiving support and now uses medication. He told us it's helped him shift what his priorities are, and also understand his own boundaries.
“I've got to be selfish and I've got to look after myself for once.”
Opening up about the role family has played in his life, Sam explains how much he values having siblings around him.
“I think it's (his relationship with them) very important. I think I'd have been bored without having a sibling. I'd have been lost without a sibling. I'd hated growing up as an only child.”
He told us, he often feels mental health isn't talked about enough.
"Suffolk Minds is an important charity for mental health and (I am doing this) more than anything because I don't think in some cases it (mental health) isn't discussed enough, especially within men.
His message to others is simple, but powerful: reach out.
“If you see someone struggling, just ask if they're okay, take them aside. Just ask if they're okay, how they're doing. If they're happy to open up to you, they do. If they don't, you've got to respect that boundary.”
He hopes their jump will raise awareness as well as money, and show that anyone can be affected by mental health challenges.