A walk held in memory of Thomas Reynolds, the 13-year-old from Culcheth who died last December, has raised more than £21,000 for mental health support. Since Thomas died, nearly £60,000 has now been raised in his memory for ADHD UK, Mind and Young Minds.
Thomas was described as intelligent, witty and full of infectious personality, the sort of lad people remember not because they have to, but because he left a proper mark. His absence is deeply felt by his family, friends and classmates at Culcheth High School.
His mum and dad, Victoria and Steve, have made it their mission to raise awareness of the link between ADHD, which Thomas was medicated for, and suicide. According to the NHS, research shows that adults with ADHD are five times more likely to attempt suicide. That is not a statistic to skim past while making a brew, it is stark, frightening and demands proper attention.
Last Saturday, more than 90 of Thomas' loved ones took part in Walk for Tom, a 26.2 mile route, the distance of a full marathon. They set off from Culcheth Green at 7am and made their way through the countryside around Culcheth and Gorse Covert. The youngest walker was just nine, while some of the oldest were in their 70s, which frankly puts half the village to shame for grumbling about walking from the car park to the Co-op.
The fundraising supported mental health charity MIND and its #FundTheHubs campaign, which is calling on the UK government to fund a network of early support hubs for young people across England. And yes, before anyone in Westminster reaches for another consultation document, this is exactly the sort of thing families should not have to beg for after tragedy.
Steve said his father, Steve Reynolds senior, was first to finish in 7 hours and 55 minutes. He added: This included my father, Steve Reynolds senior, who was first to finish in 7hrs 55 minutes - I did keep reminding him it’s not a race but that's the competitive side of him.
Culcheth does love a quiet act of determination, preferably with someone insisting it is not competitive while absolutely making it competitive.
Steve also said the family were overwhelmed by the support: This is incredible and we are blown away by peoples’ compassion and kindness, especially when we know that money is very tight in households at the moment.
That part matters. People are stretched, bills are ridiculous, and yet the community still found room to give, walk, volunteer, cheer, brew up and help.
Local businesses stepped in too, opening up for toilet stops, coffees and breakfast butties along the way. Thanks were given to Olive Branch Cafe in Glazebury, The Greenery Cafe in Glazebrook, The Poacher Pub in Gorse Covert, The Packhorse Pub in Culcheth, the Plough Pub in Croft and The Culcheth Arms, where the walk finished. Say what you like about village life, and I often do, but when it counts, the butty network is practically an emergency service.
The Reynolds family also thanked the team of 15 helpers who supported registration, the start and finish lines, and drink stations across the route. Local residents beeped horns, left messages of support, and put out sweets and drinks for walkers to help themselves to as they passed.
Steve said: It was a huge community effort and a very special day in the memory of Tom.
There is no dressing this up as anything other than heartbreaking, but there is also something profoundly decent in seeing Warrington, Culcheth and the surrounding communities respond with such care.
The original report appeared in the Warrington Guardian by Lois Dean, listed under Charity People. There was also a rather odd subscriber partnership note referencing USA Today and The Herald, which felt like the publishing equivalent of someone wandering into the wrong parish meeting, but the important local story remains clear: Thomas is loved, missed and being remembered through action.