A man who became the face of one of Keswick’s most iconic shops is preparing to set off on a 300-mile walk in memory of his daughter.
Andy Airey, who was born in Threlkeld, spent 26 years with George Fisher Ltd, becoming director of the world famous outdoor equipment supplier and achieving near-legendary status among its regular customers. In 2018, Andy’s daughter Sophie took her own life aged 29.
Ever since, he has devoted his energies to raising awareness of suicide prevention and promoting the professional help and support available to young people struggling with life.
Tomorrow, Andy will begin a marathon trek from his home near Penrith to King’s Lynn in Norfolk alongside Mike Palmer, of Sale, who lost his 17-year-old daughter Beth to suicide and Tim Owen, of King’s Lynn, whose daughter Emily died aged 19.
The walk is in aid of PAPYRUS, the national charity for the prevention of young suicides, and the three dads aim to cover at least 20 miles a day for 15 days.
“Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under the age of 35 in the UK,” said Andy, who lives at Morland, near Penrith.
“We only learned this terrifying fact because each of us has lost a daughter to suicide within the last three years.
“By raising awareness, we hope to prevent other families from suffering such indescribable pain and bring something positive out of the utter devastation of losing a child to suicide.
“We are all too aware that there are more young people out there falling into despair and see no way out other than to end their own precious lives.
“We hope that by linking our three homes and telling our three daughters’ very different stories we will put a spotlight on young mental health and ultimately the brutal effects of suicide.”
Andy added: “It’s certainly taken on a life of its own since Mike came up with what was originally a fairly rudimentary idea.
“Once we got into the detail of it, it was quite surprising how it became so real and once we went public it really exploded.
“Our aim is to introduce a lot more people to Papyrus and get people talking about suicide prevention.”
“If we get people talking about suicide prevention with their loved ones, we could save lives.”
Ged Flynn, chief executive PAPYRUS, said: “It is remarkable that these proud fathers, who are each trying to deal with their own grief in their own way, have found a positive path forward together.”
For more details, and to track the walk, visit www.3dadswalking.uk
James Bond star Daniel Craig donates £10,000 to the dads. Read more here.
