Milewood in Whitby Raises More Than £5700 for Suicide Awareness

Milewood teams in Whitby stepped up to raise funds and awareness for a suicide prevention project.

People supported by Milewood and colleagues from its Hudson Street service, joined by Caedmon House, are getting behind The Red Bench Project with a series of fundraising events. Whitby has a high suicide rate, especially among men, making it a vitally important subject.

The first was a sponsored walk from Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay. Starting from Whitby Beavers, people from both Caedmon House and Hudson Street took part in the challenge, raising money while promoting the message that suicide is preventable and that talking can make a difference.

Then Milewood took its fundraising to new heights with a sponsored skydive and finally a 15-strong Milewood team will take on the 5K Tough Mudder at Cheshire County Showground in October.

The team will tackle 12 obstacles as they raise money and promote the message about the importance of talking and seeking support when people are struggling.

So far £5715 has been raised with money still coming in.

The Red Bench Project creates distinctive red benches designed to provide places where people who may be struggling can stop, reflect and access information about mental health and suicide prevention support.

The project was founded in 2023 by suicide survivor Wayne Rambo Groves following his own experiences of depression and mental health difficulties and the death of his friend Mick.

Wayne had often used the beach as a place to clear his head and initially thought about having a memorial bench there after his death. He instead decided that a bench could have a much more powerful purpose during his lifetime – providing somewhere for other people experiencing difficult moments to sit, think and find support.

The first Red Bench was installed on South Shields seafront in July 2023 and others have since followed.

Each bench provides details of the Samaritans and a QR code directing people towards further sources of support. The project also encourages members of the public who see somebody sitting alone on a bench and appearing to struggle to simply ask if they are OK.

Simon Brown, group learning & development manager at Milewood, said: “These are three very different challenges, but they share one important purpose, which is getting people talking about mental health and supporting a project aiming to make a real difference.

“The walk from Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay was a fantastic opportunity for the people we support and our colleagues to come together, enjoy a challenge and raise awareness within the local community.

“And I have enormous admiration for those brave enough to follow it by jumping out of an aeroplane!

“There is a serious message behind all of this. People can find it incredibly difficult to say when they are struggling, and The Red Bench Project is about creating opportunities for that first conversation to happen.

“We are very proud to support it and I hope people across Whitby and the surrounding area will get behind our teams, sponsor their efforts and, most importantly, help us spread the message that nobody should feel they have to struggle alone.”

Thanks go to Myako, Realise, Thornwoods, Acute, Barnsdales, Northpoint Architects as well as Milewood employees and their families and friends for all their support.