Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team.

Out of the Blue running challenge

Out Of The Blue is a fundraising body established in memory of Will Beckett, who took his own life at Beachy Head in January 2013, at the age of 42. Will’s wife, Kate, has organised a number of different length runs to raise awareness and funds for the charities who have provided valuable support to her and her family since Will’s death. HOT’s Zelly Restorick reports.

According to close family and friends, Will’s suicide was a total shock to them, coming ‘out of the blue’, hence the name for the awareness and fundraising campaign.

“Will was an incredibly loving and caring husband, father, son, brother and friend”, writes Kate. “We know how lucky we were to have had Will  – he was deeply loved by us all. In his memory, we will continue our work to help raise money for these important charities and hope to prevent any other tragic deaths.”

Supporting supportive charities

Kate Beckett has chosen three specific charities to support: Winston’s Wish, Dragonflies Bereavement Support and the Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team.

Winston’s Wish provided invaluable, much needed support to the family in the days following Will’s death. “All of Will’s family have benefited from the information and booklets provided by Winston’s Wish”, writes Kate. “We feel incredibly grateful to them for their practical advice and compassionate support. Their specific knowledge of dealing with suicide and other violent deaths has been incredibly important for us. They continue to provide counselling to the boys and me  – with great compassion and expertise.”

In the aftermath of Will’s death, the Dragonflies Bereavement Support charity for children was also extremely helpful to Kate and Will’s two young sons: “Tom and Joe have attended support group sessions and an activity weekend alongside other bereaved children.  In a group setting the boys have talked about their dad. They have been able to realise that they are not alone in their grief and that they are able to recognise and accept their different emotions.

“The third charity we support”, Kate continues, “is the Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team. Not only did they support a group of us when our search for Will ended at Beachy Head on that January day, but the work they do is truly humbling when it comes to human duty. We have witnessed first-hand the work they do to encourage desperate and broken individuals not to end their lives. The service is staffed by volunteers and relies on donations to help them provide the service they do. Helping to prevent further suicides at Beachy Head would be a hugely positive legacy of Will’s death.”

Seeking runners

Out Of The Blue running team at Battle.

To raise funds for these three charities, Kate and her family have organised a five-kilometre, 10-kilometre and family fun-run at Ashburnam Place near Battle on Thursday 14 May from 7pm, coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week.

Su Barnicoat, Community Development Officer for the mental health organisation Chances4Change East Sussex, is promoting the event. “Any organisation who supports people with mental health issues or the issues around suicide are welcome to have a stand at the event, but even better, it would be great to have groups of runners – or individuals – who’d be prepared to run and raise money! 
If anyone fancies getting into training, please contact me, so we can help make it happen (even if you haven’t run before!).” [See Su’s contact details below.]

You can find more details about Out Of The Blue at the Facebook page here. You can register to run in the race here and the Virgin giving page is here. 

Su Barnicoat, Community Development Officer, Chances4Change East Sussex Project at Hastings Voluntary Action: tel 01424 444010, mobile 0770 290 2840 and email su@hvauk.org.

Chances4Change Facebook page here. 

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