Norfolk dad campaigning for suicide prevention lessons in schools to meet with Government
'The 3 Dads' campaign has raised well over £1.4 million for suicide prevention charity Papyrus
A dad from West Norfolk campaigning for suicide prevention to be taught in schools tells us he'll be meeting with officials from the Education Department today.
Tim Owen from Shouldham lost his daughter Emily to suicide in March 2020 - and since then has helped raise well over £1.4 million for suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS, through campaign group 'Three Dads Walking'.
Today's meeting will see the group discuss why there's a greater need for better mental health support to be put on the curriculum.
"If suicide is the biggest killer of our young people in the UK, we need to do something about it"
Tim told us that any changes to the curriculum must be carefully done:
"We can't burden the teachers with it all. My eldest daughter is a science teacher and they have already got enough on their plates.
"So what we're talking about from a 'schools perspective' is that everybody there is given the support and practical training to help themselves and others, from the teachers to the students and wider support staff".
"The more PAPYRUS offices we get, the more suicide prevention training can be delivered in schools, just like we're doing in the College of West Anglia on the 7th of February.
"It just seems obvious that if we have got some great people working for PAPYRUS, then they can start to grow that network".
"Having suicide prevention taught in school seems like the obvious thing to do. We have met nobody who has told us that this is a bad thing to do.
"If suicide is the biggest killer of our young people in the UK, we need to do something about it - such as giving them the skill-sets to deal with those emotions".
'The 3 Dads' work in 2024 at a glance
Tim, along with Andy Airey and Mike Palmer, started Three Dads Walking in memory of their daughters who took their own lives - 19-year-old Emily Owen, 29-year-old Sophie Airey and 17-year-old Beth Palmer.
The three fathers were each made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's Birthday Honours list, in June last year.
It's after they completed a 500-mile walk from Stirling to Norwich in May to bring in money for Papyrus, for which they have raised more than £1.4 million.
The campaign's journey between 2021 and 2023:
-In 2021, 'The 3 Dads' walked 300 miles from Penrith, via Manchester to West Norfolk.
-In 2022, the group walked 600 miles over 30 days, from Belfast to Westminster.
-In March 2023, Parliament debated whether to make suicide prevention a compulsory part of the school curriculum- after a petition they put together got 150,000 signatures.
-In April 2023, the '3 Dads' met with the Prime Minister and Education Secretary (Gillian Keegan) and urged them to support their campaign to get suicide prevention on the school curriculum.
You can keep up-to-date with the '3 Dads' journey here.
Where to get help
If you, or someone you know is suffering with their mental health, or experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can speak to your GP. If someone's life is in danger - call 999 immediately.
You can also find help and advice from these services:
Hub of Hope - https://hubofhope.co.uk
Samaritans – Call 116123 - https://www.samaritans.org
Mind - 0300 123 3393 - https://www.mind.org.uk
For confidential suicide prevention help and advice, the Papyrus 24/7 helpline can be contacted on 0800 068 4141, by texting 88247 or emailing [email protected].