On Sunday (16/8), eight men from Milton Keynes Rugby Club set off to row across the English Channel in memory of their friend Lewis.
Lewis, also from Milton Keynes, sadly took his own life in 2019, at the age of 36. "Louie was a great guy who had the biggest smile," said one of his friends. "Little did we know that behind that smile he was struggling with his mental health."
To honour their friend's memory, eight men from the Milton Keynes Rugby Club came together and decided to row across the English Channel whilst also raising some money for charity.
Rob Lasbrey, Stuart Tomkinson, Michael Dean, Mark Dean, Paul Kite, Scotty Aspinall, Matt May and Paul Tomkinson spent time training for the row and say that it took them "out of [their] comfort zone".
The team chose to raise funds for MIND BLMK - a local mental health charity. They initially set themselves a fundraising target of £13,000, which they have beat, with the total now standing at over £13,800 (as of Tuesday morning). You can find the JustGiving page here.
Speaking about the importance of speaking out about mental health, Lewis' friend Rob added: "It’s important to not suffer in silence and I hope the money raised may help save someone’s life.
"I would do anything to bring Lewis back and I wish he had of had the help he needed."
The money raised will go towards offering support and advice to people struggling with their mental health, whilst also raising public awareness and understanding of issues related to mental health.
Earlier this year, MIND BLMK launched their crisis cafés operating for people who need urgent or crisis support with their mental health. These support lines are operating remotely 7 days a week, and can be accessed by calling 01525 722 225 between 5pm and 11pm.
Alternatively, if you need urgent support outside of these hours please call the Samaritans on 116 123. This number can be called 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
