A fundraising event for suicide prevention charity Every Life Matters saw 250 people take part and raise thousands of pounds.
It was the charity’s first fundraiser and saw people, in teams of five, take on laps of Fell Foot at Windermere. The event also featured a memory garland which provided an opportunity for people to tie a ribbon in memory of a loved one lost to suicide and for those living with thoughts of suicide.
A total of 1,410 laps were completed by competitors showing that every lap matters because Every Life Matters.
Emily Lishman, event co-organiser and community fundraising co-ordinator at Every Life Matters, said: “We are so thrilled at the response to our first fundraising event. It was heart-warming to see a sea of purple T-shirts and smiles, all beautiful people who have come together in memory of loved ones and to help spread awareness.
“The day certainly had a buzz with Blast Furness creating such an amazing atmosphere out on the course. We are so grateful to Fell Foot for letting us use their beautiful park as our venue and to all our volunteers who helped make the day so special. Most of all we are so grateful to everyone who attended, what a special way to all come together and Stride Against Suicide!”
On the same day, at the same time, Border Reivers, a running club from Carlisle, held their own version of Stride Against Suicide at Watchtree Nature Reserve. The event was well attended, with 82 runners doing laps of the nature reserve on foot, some on bikes, and even managed to get members of the public involved.
The spin-off event was organised by Jessica Montgomery in memory of her brother Adam. After the event, Jessica said: “A huge thank you to everyone who made the dream of this run a reality. I couldn’t have asked for a better squad out there. To see people talking about suicide and supporting one another was just out of this world. We have raised over £2,000 directly for Every Life Matters.”
