A 10-year-old boy who lost his dad to suicide when he was just three has raised almost £5,000 for a charity that supports families like his.
Fairfield Primary School pupil Shaun Mayall had originally planned to run 10k in December, but the coronavirus lockdown put breaks on his plan.
The rescheduled run will now take place tomorrow. Shaun initially set himself a target of raising £101 but has now raised almost £5,000.
The schoolboy from Cockermouth sadly lost his dad, Andy, to suicide in 2014 and decided to honour his memory by challenging himself to run 10K.
While Shaun has understandably felt frustrated at the delay, he has kept himself positive and active during lockdown.
“I’ve been playing football when it’s been allowed,” said Shaun, “but I’ve mostly been keeping fit by walking the fells. I’ve bagged 107 Wainwrights now, mainly with my mum and my auntie.
“My favourite walk was Hopegill Head and Whiteside with my friend Patrick. I filled five of my pockets with stones from the mountains and we laid them on dad’s grave.
“It was special because it was the last fell that my mum climbed with my dad.”
After all the waiting, Shaun is feeling confident and excited. His run will start at school at 10.10am – to fit with his 10-years-old and 10km ‘10-in10’ theme – and there are rumours that some of his teachers will be getting in on the running action too.
Headteacher of Fairfield Primary, Chris Steele, said: “I am impressed by Shaun’s fundraising efforts so far. He has worked hard to raise awareness and vital funds for a charity very close to his heart and he is doing it in a way that means all of us at school can support and help him along the way.
“News of his run has reached a long way and his initial fundraising target has been smashed. We are all very much looking forward to cheering him on through the 10K. As a keen runner, I am also looking forward to lacing up and doing a few laps with him.”
Shaun recollects that his dad was a huge fan of the Beano: “Dad’s favourite character was Dennis the Menace, so I’m going to complete the whole run dressed in Dennis’ stripey shirt and a black wig.”
The only problem is that Shaun has grown out of his Dennis costume since the run was originally scheduled and Helen has had to splash out on a new costume.
Support Shaun to reach £5K
If you would like to support Shaun’s fundraising challenge, you can donate via JustGiving at www.justgiving.com/campaign/shauns10K?invite=true.
Support for people touched by suicide
If you are struggling with the death of someone who has taken their own life and need someone to listen to your experience and offer you support, get in touch.
You can call the SBS helpline on 07572 975 721 (John) or 07896 703 757 (Karan). You can also email [email protected] , or you can visit www.sbs.org.uk or Facebook and Twitter at @CumbriaSBS.
