Family club together in memory of loved one
A family spread across the county came together over the summer to raise funds in memory of a beloved and lost young man. Conor Manly, at the tender age of 18, took his own life.
Amongst other fundraising ventures, six family members and friends, aged between 16 and 65, took part in a tandem skydive in July, with the aim of raising funds for the local mental health charity Norfolk and Waveney Mind. As well as receiving online donations – including from the Rt Hon Sir Norman Lamb MP – the family also received funding from City FM (Facilities Management) and through collection pots in local businesses close to where they all live.
£3,590.35 was raised through the skydive, and the family now have aspirations to continue celebrating Conor’s life with an annual physical challenge!
Extended family member Tracy Snowden explained: “Thinking of my own mental health battles and understanding some of the torment Conor went through had a profound effect on me. The idea that raising funds for Norfolk and Waveney Mind in Conor’s memory could help make a difference to another family and might turn a dire situation into a positive one, was a real comfort. We are so grateful to all those who generously donated in Conor’s name.”
“We would specifically like to thank the guys at UK parachuting at Beccles Airfield, who were fantastic with their encouragement and putting us at ease. There were mixed feelings about the jump but we thoroughly enjoyed the day.”
Norfolk and Waveney Mind is a local Mind mental health charity offering an extensive range of support, advice and information to the people, businesses and communities across the area. It utilises fundraising and donations to develop and deliver pioneering projects which directly support people with mental health difficulties.