Earlier this year we set ourselves a target of raising £30,000 for Suicide&Co in support of the Ash Family Row by the end of 2026. As of the end of September, we've now passed £25,000!
In this blog, we share more on the Ash Family’s story and the work of Suicide&Co.
Four members of one family, one Atlantic crossing
In December 2027, Charlotte, Camilla, James and Henry Ash will row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in memory of Robert, a much-loved husband, father and friend who they lost to suicide on the 19th September 2023.
Their goal is to raise £300,000 for Suicide&Co, the charity that supported them in the months after Robert died.
You can follow their preparation and find out more about the row at ashfamilyrow.com.
What Suicide&Co does for people bereaved by suicide
Suicide&Co is the only national charity providing specialist support for people who have lost someone to suicide. Since it launched in 2020, its mission has been to give people the support they need, open up conversations about suicide loss and make sure nobody has to go through that loss alone.
That support includes counselling, practical and emotional help and a range of online resources through its website and app. Every donation goes towards keeping those services available to the people who need them.
Bringing the challenge into our office
Earlier in the year, we set our own challenge to support the Ash Family in hitting their fundraising target. We wanted it to reflect what the Ash family are taking on, so we set up a rowing machine in the office with the target of the whole team working together to clock 3,000 miles on it between now and the end of the year.
Angus Shaw, our Managing Director, said:
"It means a lot to be supporting the Ash Family Row and Suicide&Co. As personal friends, I feel honoured that we are able to support them with their challenge and raise vital awareness and funds for the incredible charity that supported them when they lost Robert.
We felt that setting the task of rowing 3,000 miles was the ideal fundraising challenge and I know our team will throw themselves into clocking those miles, along with a bit of friendly competition I expect!”
Closing the gap to £30,000
The miles have been just one part of it. We fundraised at the MSP Show in London and through a dedicated auction at our Annual Partner Conference, which brought us to the £25,000 milestone.
We’re extremely grateful to every partner and colleague who has given their time, money or effort so far and we’re sure we’ll reach our £30k target in the coming months.
You can find out more about the Ash family's challenge and how to support it at ashfamilyrow.com, or learn more about the charity's work at suicideandco.org. And, if you're visiting us before the end of the year, you may be offered a turn on the rowing machine.
If you've been affected by suicide loss, you can call Suicide&Co's helpline on 0800 054 8400 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or visit suicideandco.org.
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