The friends of a 23-year-old Ashby man, who died by suicide, are taking on a gruelling charity challenge in his memory.
Jack Gallagher, known to his friends as ‘Gally’, took his own life last October 25 at his home in Ashby.
Now 14 men are set to take on the ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ this Summer in honour of their friend, and also in a bid to raise awareness of suicide and encourage other men to speak out if they are struggling with their mental health.
“This has been a massive loss to many people. We feel we need to take a stand and do our bit to help out those that need it, before it’s too late”, said Mitchell Smith, one of the men taking part.
“Not a single day goes by when [Gally] is not missed. It all still feels very surreal, and it’s left a massive hole in our hearts that will never be filled”.
The Three Peaks Challenge is an event in which participants attempt to climb the highest mountains of England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours, which are Ben Nevis (1,345m) Snowdon (1,085m) and Scafell Pike (978m).
The team have started training for the challenge, which will take place on August 5 in support of mental health charities Mind and Movember.
They are aiming to raise £5,000, which will be split evenly between the two chosen charities, which both offer support to people who are suffering from mental health issues.
So far, a total of £4,750 has been raised.
“In this three peaks challenge we are going to have each other’s back like we always have, especially since we lost Jack. Pull each other up and dig in! We are going to do this together, we are going to do Jack proud”, added Mr Smith.
“We also want to stop this from happening again to somebody else”.
in online tributes, Mr Gallagher was described as a “confident, fun person” and got on well with everyone.
He enjoyed a range of sports and was a member of several local teams, including Moira Football Club, Woodville Rangers and Gresley Rovers.
He also boxed with the South Derbyshire Cricket Club and played cricket for Hartshorne Cricket Club.
Anyone who makes a donation online, is encouraged to leave a tribute message or a special memory from their time with Jack.
To find out more, or to donate to the cause, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/gallypeakchallenge
