October 28, 2022 8.00 am This story is over 28 months old

Lincoln NHS worker who contemplated suicide on a mission to help others

He has taken on a big walking challenge for charity
Andrew is on a mission to walk 1,200 miles in 12 months to raise money for charity.

A dad-of-three from Dunholme near Lincoln is on a mission to walk 1,200 miles in 12 months to raise money for charity, 25 years after he contemplated taking his own life.

Andrew Clark, 49, works as a Legal Services Officer at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT).

He was inspired by a suicide prevention conference he attended in September and started his big walking challenge this month.

All the money raised will be shared equally between Lincolnshire NHS charity to support LPFT’s work on suicide prevention, and R;pple which intervenes when a person searches on the internet for methods to take their own life.

Andrew walking near Mablethorpe.

Andrew said: “I’ve been there at the point where you can rationalise suicidal thoughts, so I know what it feels like, but thankfully I’m now very much in recovery.

“There’s a taboo about suicide but the profile needs raising, and I hope I can play a small part in helping to promote the great work being done surrounding suicide prevention.”

Andrew is unable to do any big walking trips away as he is also a carer, but he is determined to do all he can to hit 100 miles a month.

He added: “Walking massively helps my own wellbeing, but I know that times are really hard for a lot of people at the moment, so I really want to push myself and do all I can to help.”

Fiona Bone, Suicide Prevention Lead at LPFT, said: “We are really grateful to Andrew and wish him all the best with his fundraising efforts.

“The money he raises could make a big difference in helping us to continue our work supporting and educating staff around suicide prevention.”

Make a donation to Andrew’s fundraiser here

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