Having read Jason Parker’s inspirational story back in February, Director of Operations for Community Healthcare, Michael Folan, today shares his own, and explains why he’s running the London Marathon for Andy’s Man Club later this month.

Michael said: “I’ve sadly seen men in my family end their life by suicide in recent years – and wanted to highlight the importance of men speaking up about their mental health and the support on offer.

“According to the office of national statistics, suicide is our biggest killer of men under 50 and young people. Preventing suicide has no easy solutions that one person or organisation can implement alone. Every death by suicide is devastating and can have a lifelong impact, with each death impacting an estimated 135 people on average. It is highly likely that several colleagues across CHFT have been directly, or indirectly, affected by friends, family members or colleagues who have committed suicide.

“Although not directly connected, each of those suicides in my family had themes in common that reflect wider risk factors that are increasingly understood based on national and international data.”

Some of those risk factors are the background to why our West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board has identified reducing suicide by 10% across West Yorkshire as one of its core ambitions and objectives by focussing on health inequalities, achieving a greater understanding of the impact of inequality on suicide, so that suicide prevention becomes everyone’s business. The linked West Yorkshire suicide prevention strategy outlines themes, actions and plans.

Michael added: “Within our Calderdale and Kirklees communities we have some wonderful support agencies and networks and it is important for all of us as colleagues, friends and family members to understand some of those risk factors for suicide and support navigation to those support options in our communities.

“That’s why I’m raising money for one of those vital support options in Andy’s Man Club, by running in this year’s London Marathon on Sunday 21st April.”

If you’d like to donate then you can do so through Michael's Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/michael-folan-1707924724815

If anyone reading this is struggling with mental health issues and would like to access support, please reach out to your GP, or your line manager who can direct you to occupational health, or contact our Wellbeing Team. If you are not sure who to contact, do not hesitate to contact Dominic Bryan via email at dominic.bryan@cht.nhs.uk