Three Dads Walking want to save suicide prevention helpline
The '3 Dads Walking' campaign group is calling for the reinstatement of the Papyrus HopeLine 24/7 suicide prevention service after the charity entered administration. The fathers, who have all lost children to suicide, argue that such services are a vital public health responsibility.
Why it matters
The closure of a major suicide prevention helpline raises concerns about the fragility of mental health support infrastructure and government funding for charities.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Laura Devlin BBC Tim Owen (centre) campaigns with fellow bereaved dads Mike Palmer (left) and Andy Airey A father whose teenage daughter took her own life said he would campaign to reinstate a "life-saving" helpline after a suicide prevention charity folded.
Tim Owen, who lost 19-year-old Emily in 2020, has trekked the length and breadth of the UK as one of 3 Dads Walking, all of whom have lost a daughter to suicide.
They have raised £1.5m for the Papyrus emergency helpline, which earlier this week announced it had entered administration.
"It's got to be our priority to work out how it comes back, in some guise, to give our young people hope," said Owen, of Shouldham, near King's Lynn, Norfolk.
"We know that that phone line saved lives. It isn't there anymore - that's heartbreaking."
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in