84 men a week in the UK die by suicide. That’s 12 per day, or 1 every 2 hours.

On Monday 2nd September, we lost our dear friend Paul Fletcher. Loved by everyone in the community, Paul’s family and friends have been inundated with messages of support and love since his passing.

Mental health is incredibly important in today’s society. It affects how we think, feel and behave in life. It also helps determine how we handle stressful situations, relate to friends and family, and make life choices. Mental Health is important at every stage of life, from childhood through to being an adult and at retirement. It’s a broad spectrum and can include loneliness, isolation and feeling lack of self-worth.

Mental Health awareness has grown over the past few years and it’ s great to see many other community groups in Preston raising awareness of mental health and the associated effects. Tomorrow, it’s Suicide Prevention Day and there will be moments of silence throughout the day. There’s also the Monthly Mental Health Mate walks that have started and aim to give people a sense of community.

Our campaign and fundraiser for Lancashire Mind aims to make Mental Health a commonplace talking point. We want everyone to know that it’s okay to discuss mental health, how you think, feel and behave.

Throughout September, Raffle tickets will be available at the Car Wash and our fundraiser is online via JustGiving. The generosity and kindness of local businesses has been amazing and we have received some great prizes for our raffle.

The aim’s to get people talking. The aim’s to reduce statistics such as one person commits suicide every 17 days in Preston. The aim’s to let you know that it’s time to talk.