LANDLORDS of a dale inn are to walk 247km in April to raise cash for a suicide prevention charity in memory of their daughter who took her own life in 2023.
Lindsey and Charles Hall, of Rokeby Inn, on the A66, have raised about £45,000 for charities since their daughter Sophie died.
They had planned to call time on their fundraising efforts at a gala event last year, but a desperate plea from the charity Papyrus, which campaigns for suicide prevention among young people, to save its round-the-clock helpline spurred the couple into action again.
Mrs Hall said last year’s Hollywood Glam Gala raised £9,300 for Papyrus.
“That was going to be our last one, but because it is the 24/7 hotline [we decided to do another].
“Sophie and I talked about needing help during the night. The next morning she would come and talk to me and she’d say, ‘Mum I came to see you during the night but you were asleep’ and I always said well why didn’t you wake me? She always replied, ‘you have to work, it wasn’t fair to wake you’. That is why this 24/7 helpline is important to me. In the quietness of the night is when your mind goes into overdrive.”
The charity’s Hope Can’t Wait Until The Morning campaign encourages people to cover 247km during April to raise cash. Eight people from Rokeby Inn are taking part.
Mr Hall said: “You can run it, bike it, swim it, row it, anything really to get the distance in. We are going to do a bit each day, some will do more than others, but it is a team effort. We are all a team here. All the staff knew Sophie.”
Mrs Hall added: “I tried to work out how many kilometres I would have to do a day, and it is 8.2. I know I could do that, but with everything I don’t have time. So I thought if I can get seven other people to do it with me then it is a kilometre a day each. That was the plan and everyone said yes, it is amazing. Even the girls who are away at college are doing it as well, which is fantastic.”
People can support the team by visiting their justgiving page at https://shorturl.at/sSnry.
