Suicide is the single biggest killer of men aged under 45 in the UK, with 76 percent of all suicides in 2014 being men. Let's just take a minute to let that sink in.
For those of us who have lost our fathers, brothers, sons and our friends to suicide, it's something that will forever haunt us. Could we have done more? What were they struggling with that they felt they couldn't share? Were there any signs?
Disco (second from left) and his friends.
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The fact is that we shouldn't torture ourselves. We need to encourage men to talk about how they're feeling without fear of persecution or prejudice.
We're starting a new initiative called: LAD Of The Week. This first story is a little bit cheeky though, because we have 24 of them.
Back on July 8, 2016, Dave 'Disco' Court took his own life. To this day, we still don't know why. As a result, 24 of his good mates have taken it upon themselves to get out there and raise as much awareness about male suicide as they can. They've already taken part in a few fundraising activities, but they're about to embark on the biggest one of all.
Disco's Boys.
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TheLADbible spoke to one of his best friends, Shaun Shires, about their next challenge. Shaun said: "Disco was an absolutely amazing friend. He was a friend that everyone would love to have, he was the typical man's man, with a big heart, and he would do anything for his friends and family.
"We've set up a group called 'Disco's Boys' and we're going to be taking part in a massive relay race from Grimsby to Liverpool. It's over 150 miles. We'll be running in pairs and completing the run in five mile stints."
The group of 24 men (with a couple more yet to be confirmed) are as follows: Jay Court (Disco's brother), Jack Court (Disco's brother), Richie Shiers, Gary Shiers, Steven Shiers, John Knox, Paul Marshall, Nicky Graves, Stephen Johnson, Liam Mckay, Richard Shiers, Dean Rickets, Steven Cross, Graeme Dempsey, Ricky Long, AJ O'Connor, John London, David Scratty, Jay Wheeler, Jay Smith, Jay Goodie, Flynny, Dov and Shaun.
They've set up a fundraising page in order to raise £1000 for Movember, as well as getting awareness for male suicide. At the time of writing, they're at £270 - so let's give them a helping hand.
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Disco's Boys.
Shaun continued: "Since Disco's death, we've set up a group chat and all the lads are speaking a lot more. In fact, there's been a few of us who've opened up about our own suicidal feelings. I know it sounds daft but the silver lining out of this whole thing is that now we go out together more. Before, we only saw each other when we were out on the piss or playing footy.
"Disco would've loved what we're doing now. He was always on about going and doing active things. He had a six-pack and we used to call him 'God's gift'."
Disco (top) and his mate.
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Speaking about hoping that they can raise awareness, Shaun said: "We don't want anyone else to lose their friends. We're stronger together."
Our first ever LAD Of The Week had to go to these guys. Good luck with the relay, lads.
If you're struggling, get in touch with The CALMzone, which offers amazing support to anyone when things get tough.
The helpline and web chat service are open 5pm to midnight, every day of the year. Nationwide: 0800 58 58 58; London: 0808 802 58; Webchat: www.thecalmzone.net/get-help.
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You can contact the Samaritans on a Freephone number - 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected].
We want to showcase YOUR stories. What are you doing to benefit the community? Is your mate doing something awesome for someone else? Even if you're just helping your next door neighbour in the cold winter months - we want to know about it. Email us with your story - [email protected] and you could be featured next week.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Lad of the week, Feels