My brother, Adam Bramwell, was a talented and hilarious guy who loved golf, music, football, his friends & family, his dog, and getting likes on Facebook through his ridiculous sense of humour.

He was a unique character who wanted to live his life doing only the things that he loved.

Sadly, on the 12th April 2016, Adam took his own life after an ongoing battle with anxiety.

Unlike many other young men who suffer with their mental health, Adam was not afraid to speak out and talk about how he was feeling and reach out for help. He also encouraged others to do the same.

For me, this left feelings of confusion and somewhat guilt as I always believed that those speaking out and seeking help would manage to get the support they needed to overcome their problems.

18 months down the line, after receiving help to come to terms with what has happened, and learning more and more about mental health, I can acknowledge that as a family we did do everything that we could to help Adam and in fact mental health needs a lot more research and awareness to better help others.

Although the stigma around mental health is gradually subsiding, there is still a lot more that needs to be done to help those that are now speaking out.

I have chosen 3 charities to support over the next 12 months, leading up to what would have been Adam’s 30th birthday on the 18th November 2018.

I am aiming to run 30 races of varying distances and will be joined on individual races by Adam’s friends, my friends and will also encourage anyone who wants to raise awareness to join me.

I will be raising money and awareness for:

• MIND: One of the UK’s leading mental health charities. Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
• Mental Health Research UK: Established in 2008 as the UK’s first charity dedicated to funding research into mental illness, Mental Health Research UK strive to develop better treatments with fewer side-effects.
• SOBS (Survivors Of Bereavement By Suicide): SOBS exists to meet the needs and break the isolation of those bereaved by the suicide of a close relative or friend. SOBS Manchester has significantly helped my Mum since losing Adam.

My 30 for 30 campaign won’t bring Adam back, but I want to do something significant in his memory, as not making it to 30 under such tragic circumstances is something that needs addressing.