Friends of Lily Arkwright have created a song in her memory

Friends of Lily Arkwright have created a song in her memory, with all the proceeds going to Papyrus, a charity dedicated to preventing young suicides.

Lily Arkwright died in October, after a battle with mental health. Friends and family have written tributes to her, with her brother calling her “an amazing person” and friends adding she was the “sweetest little soul”.

To honour her memory and raise awareness for the prevention of young suicides, Lily’s friends Matty, Cam, and Jack, have created a song for her. Speaking on Instagram, Matty said that he and his friends “created a song dedicated to Lily, with the aim to promote the importance of mental health and how vital it is to look out for each other during these hard times.”

In addition to honouring Lily, they have also decided to help Papyrus too. Talking about the charity, he said “we are aiming to raise money for the charity Papyrus who work to prevent youth suicide in the UK. Any money donated no matter how big or small will be going to an amazing cause to help prevent future tragedies from occurring.”

Matty, Cam, and Jack, agreed to talk to us in order to help Papyrus and let Lily’s memory live on.

What does the song mean to you and for Lily’s memory?

“The song ‘For Lily’ means so much to us personally as close friends of Lily and we believe that the song is so important in helping to raise awareness towards mental health and to prevent others from suffering in silence. We really wanted the song to resonate and connect with others who might be struggling and encourage them to seek the help that they need.”

“The song is so important to Lily’s memory and we really wanted to try to achieve something positive that unites people so that Lily is remembered for being the loving and caring girl that she was. We were all lucky enough to meet Lily at university and developed strong bonds and relationships with her alongside amazing memories that we will never forget. Whilst making the song, we all channelled and poured our emotions into creating a song and a message that would do good in Lily’s memory.”

What is Papyrus?

“Papyrus is a youth suicide prevention charity that operates in the UK to help those that are struggling with their mental health, with the mission to reduce the number of young people that tragically take their own lives and to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. Papyrus provides support through services such as their confidential helpline (HOPELINEUK) to give advice and support to those that are suffering or to those worried about someone who may be struggling. Papyrus also works closely with the community to equip local councils with suicide prevention skills and aims to influence policies regarding suicide at a local, regional and national scale. We specifically chose to support Papyrus as they have been very supportive towards Lily’s family and are a very worthwhile charity.”

How will this help raise awareness for young suicides?

“The song ‘For Lily’ is dedicated to one of our closest friends, Lily Arkwright. We will never forget her. We want to raise awareness for mental health and youth suicides. We have attached a donation link to our song for the charity PAPYRUS (prevention of young suicides) who support young people at risk of suicide to stay safe and find hope in times of need. They’ve told us that every £5 raised can help pay for life saving contact to HOPELINEUK, which allows those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts to talk freely about it in a safe space. We feel it is pivotal for safe-guarding young people’s mental health as this has the potential to save many lives.”

Jack further said “I think the song ‘For Lily’ touches on some very important aspects of mental health – whether that be looking out for your friends and family or looking after your own mental health. We hope that this song encourages others to reach out and get help if they need to and remind us all to look out for each other always. For Lily.”

Where can people access the song?

The song can be found on SoundCloud on the account ‘For Lily’ alongside the JustGiving link in the song description to help to support Papyrus.

If you wish to view the song, please visit SoundCloud using this link ‘For Lily‘.

If you have been affected by the contents of this article you can find links to mental health resources below. Please reach out if you are struggling. 

Cardiff University Student Support and Wellbeing: Follow for information on the support Cardiff has to offer through the Counselling, Health, and Wellbeing Team 

Student Intervention Team: Email if you would like to talk through how you are feeling 

[email protected]

Mind Mental Health Organisation: Follow for support and information regarding mental health