Members of the Suffolk Fire and Rescue service to take part in the Great East Swim in memory of teammate’s brother

by Suffolk Mind Team | 07 Jun 2021

Members of the Suffolk Fire and Rescue service will be taking on the Great East Swim on Saturday 19th June 2021 in memory of their Group Manager’s brother, who took his own life in 2016.

Sally Hammond will be joining 10 of her team to swim one mile across Alton Water to raise money for independent mental health charity Suffolk Mind. She will be remembering her brother Carl who had struggled with depression.

Sally said: “I’m supporting Suffolk Mind because one in four blue light workers suffer mental illness at some time in their career and need support which Suffolk Mind offer.

“My brother was a police officer who suffered poor mental health. Part of the reason he didn’t seek the help he needed was due to the stigma attached to his illness.

“It’s important for us to be proactive, have empathy and be more understanding of mental health illnesses which can be very debilitating”.

This will be the 5th Great East Swim Sally and her team have taken part in since 2015.

Lizzy Tuthill, Community Fundraising Coordinator said: “We’re so pleased Sally and her team will be taking part in the Great East Swim for Suffolk Mind. Money raised from events like this goes towards helping us in our mission of making Suffolk the best place in the world to talk about and take care of mental health.”

Suffolk Mind still have free charity places available for either the half or one-mile swims. The event will be following strict Covid-secure procedures, ensuring the safety of participants, spectators, and Great Swim crew.

To sign up for a challenge to support Suffolk Mind, visit our Giving page.

by Suffolk Mind Team
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