A campaigning dad joined a college-organised walk aimed at raising money and awareness of a charity dedicated to young suicide prevention.

Staff, students and senior leaders from Lynn’s College of West Anglia stepped out on Tuesday for a special One College Walking event for PAPYRUS, Prevention of Young Suicide.

Joining them on the route was Shouldham dad Tim Owen, one of Three Dads Walking, who have raised more than a million pounds for the charity after each lost a daughter to suicide.

The 14.2-mile route connected three of the college’s five locations and saw two teams set off in opposite directions, one from Downham and the other from the Sports Campus, based at Lynnsport.

The teams walked to meet in the middle of the route before joining together and completing the route back to the Sports Campus.

The event brought together hundreds of students, staff, and members of the wider CWA community, including Michael Paveley, High Sheriff of Norfolk, who took part.

Level Three Public and Protective Services students volunteered as marshals throughout the day, and many other students joined in sections of the walk, showing their support across all campuses.

Students from CWA’s Cambridge campus also took part, completing their own fundraising walk around campus grounds.

A college spokesperson said: “The initiative formed part of CWA’s ongoing collaboration with PAPYRUS and Three Dads Walking, aimed at increasing awareness of suicide prevention and ensuring students know how to access support and resources.

“Through a series of talks from Tim, tutorial sessions and discussions, the college has been promoting mental health awareness and encouraging open conversations about suicide among students and staff.”

Tim, whose fellow campaigning dads are Mike Palmer and Andy Airey, said: “It has been an amazing day to see the CWA staff and students to come together to support suicide prevention.

“Suicide is the biggest killer of under 35-year-olds in the UK. Events like this just get people talking, and realising that there is help and support available, it will save lives.”

Tim lost his 19 year-old daughter Emily in March 2020 and the dads have covered many miles walking all over the UK. This year they also successfully campaigned for age appropriate suicide prevention to be taught in schools across England.

Speaking about the event college principal, David Pomfret, said it had been a “fantastic day”.

“The whole college community has come together for One College Walking. We’ve walked with Tim, one of the Three Dads Walking and supported PAPYRUS, a charity raising vital awareness surrounding youth suicide prevention. It was fabulous bringing staff and students together, over 600 people involved for such a fantastic cause. And we comfortably smashed our target.”

Lucas Cooper, admissions and business support manager, and one of the organisers of the event, added: “We walked from Downham Market and completed about 15 miles today, meeting staff and students along the way. Today has been one of the proudest moments, I’ve had since working here at the college.’

And another organiser, Scott Leadley, head of faculty, gave his thoughts. “The One College Walking event today has been a fantastic experience. Thank you so much to Tim Owen, PAPYRUS, and all the staff and students that have come out to join us today. It’s all been about raising awareness and raising funds.

“It’s been a wonderful day, getting the college community to be talking about how important a cause this is.”

The £2,828 raised from the walk will go directly to PAPYRUS, helping the charity continue its crucial work through its helpline, training and outreach programmes.

The college has thanked everyone who took part, donated and supported the event -continuing its commitment to promoting wellbeing, awareness and hope across its campuses – adding it “symbolised connection, unity, and the shared goal of raising both awareness and funds for suicide prevention and mental health support”.