A local man has challenged himself to run a kilometre for every life lost to suicide in England in 2023.
Josh Squires-Adams will be running 5,656 kilometres in 2025 to raise awareness and funds for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), a suicide prevention charity.
The total number of suicides registered in 2023 was higher than the year before by nearly 400. In kilometres, it’s around the distance between London and New York.
Last month, Josh spoke to Tina Fuller, a presenter at Vibe 107.6 FM, about the challenge and why he decided to do it.
He said: “I remember seeing the number just after 2023 when the statistics came out, and I wanted to implement that number into something that I could do. And I thought, 5,656 miles. And then I was like, that's a bit crazy so I took it down to kilometres, which is shorter, but it's still quite a way.
“My goal would be 15 and a half kilometres every day for a year, for 365 days. I still work full time as well. It’s hard, but it takes me about an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes a day.”
Josh also spoke about the support of his family and friends and how it’s helping him stay motivated to complete the challenge: “I think the standout has been the amount of people that have supported me so far. My parents and my family are great. And then all of my friends as well, my pals are getting out on runs with me, which helps. And you know what? It's the best thing as well. If you're having a bad time, like obviously it's great to talk, but if you can get out at a steady pace, get your adrenaline and endorphins going and still be able to have a conversation with your friends, there's honestly no better feeling in the world.”
CALM provides life saving support through their resources and helpline and works to challenge stigmas around mental health. Their mission is to help people end their misery, not their lives. To learn more about the work CALM does, go to their website: https://www.thecalmzone.net/.
At time of writing, Josh has over five thousand kilometres left to run. To follow his progress, check out his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshjsa/
To donate to Josh’s campaign, follow this link: https://www.justgiving.com
Hit the play button below to listen to Tina’s full chat with Josh:
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