A Wigton woman will climb Skiddaw this Easter in memory of her brother, who died last year.
Maria Carruthers, with friends and family, will climb Skiddaw in memory of Jason, who the family lost to suicide.
She said: “Hillwalking was one of Jason’s hobbies, so this seems a fitting thing to do. We lost my beautiful brother to suicide in April 2021 and I’ve set myself the challenge of raising £1,000 to support Suicide Bereavement Support (SBS) Cumbria.
“I’m raising funds for SBS as they’re an amazing charity which helps anyone who has lost someone by suicide. Everyone in the group is friendly and you’re made to feel so welcomed. To be honest, I’m normally a strong person but SBS volunteers are helping me as talking to people who are going through the same thing is helping me get through this devastating situation.”
“Jason was loved by everyone in his family and had lots of friends – he was the life and soul of the party.
“We were brought up in Mealsgate and we moved to Wigton when we were teenagers. Jason was a very hard worker who was employed by DA Harrison at Silloth and he made a lot of friends there too.
“We were very close siblings and he was always at my house but a few months before he died, he started to distance himself from his family. I was always there if he ever needed to talk to me and quite a few times he did but he also kept a lot to himself. He is missed by everyone and he will never be forgotten. On April 17 last year, our lives were turned upside down and our hearts torn into two.
“We’re all absolutely devastated by losing Jason so tragically and finding it very hard to come to terms with it. Doing the walk in memory of Jason and one year on is going to be very emotional but I know my brother will be looking down on us when we do it and it seems fitting to raise money to support SBS too.”
John Brown, chairman of SBS Cumbria said: “Suicide Bereavement Support (SBS) is very much a self-help organisation. All our volunteers have been touched by suicide themselves, an experience that enables us all to connect with others. Our aim is to provide a platform for people to find support in whatever form works for them.
“This may be by reading the information on our website or by coming to one of our group meetings or through our closed Facebook group or by occasional email or phone contact. The main thing is to offer options that different people may find helpful at different times. One of our main expenses is publicity as it is essential that people across Cumbria and the surrounding area are aware of the help that’s available. We’re very grateful indeed to Maria for her willingness to speak about her brother and her support for SBS.”
Maria hopes to climb Skiddaw on April 16 from Millbeck. To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-my-brother-jason
If someone close to you has taken their life and you would like to make contact with SBS members, email [email protected] and SBS Cumbria will get back to you
