Friend of UoM student Finn Kitson raises over £22,000 for CALM

A close friend of UoM student Finn Kitson’s, Josh Hurd, has set up a fundraiser for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) in Finn’s memory.

On the fundraiser page, Josh says he decided to shave his hair off in order to raise awareness of men’s suicide. He has already raised over £22,000.

Josh says: “I am doing this in loving memory of an amazing friend. I hope this will keep him alive in everyone’s memories and help anyone else who suffers from mental health issues.”

Finn Kitson, aged 19, was found passed away in his University of Manchester halls earlier this month. His father, Michael Kitson, said: “If you lock down young people because of Covid-19 with little support, then you should expect that they suffer severe anxiety.”

The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide. According to their homepage, “every week 125 people in the UK take their own lives. And 75 per cent of all UK suicides are male. CALM exists to change this.”

CALM runs a free and confidential helpline and webchat seven hours a day from 5pm until midnight, seven days a week for anyone who needs to talk about life’s problems.

Finn’s sister Beth has also reached out to young people via Twitter, she said: “If you have just started at uni and feeling lost- please don’t think twice about reaching out to other students, staff and tutors. We care so much, I promise.”

If you have been affected by the contents of this article, Manchester mental health support services are available here, such as 42nd Street or CALM.

Anyone can contact Samaritans FREE any time from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit. This number won’t show up on your phone bill. Or you can email [email protected] or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch, where you can talk to one of our trained volunteers face to face.

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