Three charity runners who raced around our town’s pubs to raise much-needed cash for Gobaith (Barri)’s Suicide Support Centre look set to net a thousand pounds.
Nina Lawrence, whose childhood chum Lucinda and nephew Chae both took their own lives, plus friends Sara and Helena, made a grand total of £786.10 – with a few more donations promised online.
The trio, who were joined by super cyclist Jolene Sparkes and a team of bucket collectors,visited the Billy, the Witchill, Barry Town Football Club, the Cherry Orchard, the Park Hotel, the West End, Coffee Cove, Finnegans, Academy, Wetherspoons, the Baruc, the Butterfly Collector and The Buck.
Support worker Nina said; “Massive thanks to all those who gave so generously and willingly to our brilliant collectors Eva the Diva, Reiley, Lois, Anna and Leah. They were driven around the circuit ready to leap out to join the runners at each venue by Lisa Vicky and Sue – thank you to our drivers too.”
Barry resident Nina, who is married to Rob and has two children Anna and Elinor, is keen to continually raise money to help those affected by mental health and who need a safe haven in our town. The keen runner will follow the Pub Run with the Cardiff Half Marathon in October. All proceeds will go to Gobaith (Barri). Watch this space!
The Pub Run cash has been added to the £486 in the bank plus the £1728.90 raised by the Sponsored Pen Y Fan Hike in June, the £256 from the August Pub Quiz, and the £840 in facebook donations received.
Gobaith (Barri), which was set up by Nina’s sister Rachel Degaetano following the death of her son Chae and then seven young man to suicide in Barry since April 2015, needs to hit a target of £85,000 to start the Suicide Support Centre. To date they have raised just over £4,000, – £880 of which they have donated to the Jacob Abraham Foundation (JAF).
Rachel has teamed up with the well-established JAF which has a support centre in Cardiff. The registered charity, soon to be renamed Suicide Support Cymru, was set up by Jacob’s mother Nicola after the 24 year- old killed himself in October 2015.
Working together, Gobaith (Barri) hopes to replicate JAF’s work to: help prevent suicide through direct intervention with vulnerable people; raise awareness on mental health and/or suicide issues; promote positive mental health, and support people bereaved through suicide, in Barry and the Vale.
Rachel added: “Over the next year we intend to fill in numerous grant applications, set up events, hold coffee mornings and pub quizzes, run marathons, climb mountains, shave heads and jump out of planes. We ask you to sponsor and donate throughout the year. But mostly we ask for your support.
We were too late for our children. Please support us to support the young adults of our community. We intend to do all that we can to help save lives and ensure another family doesn’t have to endure the devastation that losing a loved one to suicide causes. Thank you.”
Gobaith (Barri) which promotes the #itsoknottook Campaign is all about having the courage to stand up and say ‘enough is enough, the strength to keep fighting for our vital Suicide Support Centre, the confidence to celebrate the successes all along the way, and that faith that our community will make a difference for the young people in our town.
Find out how you can help to help those bereaved through suicide here:
To make a donation, visit Gobaith (Barri) JPage.
To organise a fund-raising event contact the Gobaith (Barri) facebook page.
To find out more about the Jacob Abraham Foundation, see their website.
To understand more about mental health, check out the MHA page.
Speak soon.
Mrs SVJ
Sue Vincent-Jones, writing as Mrs SVJ, is a Barry born journalist, editor, and communications specialist. She blogs about Barry – and her life in the wider world, through the eyes of a, quirky and queer, local girl done good.
As a community activist, Sue was an integral part of the Gobaith Campaign for a much-needed Barry Suicide Support Centre. She was Media Lead, and Communications Advisor, for the Group who have now merged with CUBE.
Mrs SVJ, Barry’s Boldest Blogger, can be contacted here.