July 2023
Friends raise over £6,000 walking in memory of their loving friend Charlotte.
Content warning – this post discusses suicide.
In May, a team of friends tackled an 14 mile walk in loving memory of their friend. 47 year old Charlotte Sumbland died by suicide in October 2022 after struggling with symptoms of perimenopause.
Together the team tackled the extreme temperatures over the bank holiday weekend, to walk from St Anne’s Church in Clifton, Greater Manchester to The Owd Betts pub in Rochdale. After their walk, the team headed back to The White Swan in Swinton. Here the team raised a glass to Charlotte, to celebrate her memory and their inspiring efforts to raise over £6,000 for The Menopause Charity.
Since Charlotte’s death, her close friend Stacy Stewart heard of other women who were struggling because of menopause. And so she took about organising the walk to raise money in memory of her beloved friend, and to help let other women know they are not on their own.
Speaking about her fundraising efforts, Stacy said: “We just want to raise awareness about menopause and how badly it can affect people. If one person reads this and realises that it is normal to feel this awful around the time of the menopause and perimenopause they may reach out and speak to someone. It could literally be a lifesaver.”
Discussing Charlotte, she said: “She didn’t moan about things and had a cracking sense of humour, yet when she started getting these symptoms, whatever we, her friends, said to her just didn’t make any difference – which was completely out of character. Women need to speak about the way they feel and know they are not alone and that there are people out there who care and who can help.”
Jenny Haskey, CEO of The Menopause Charity said: “We are incredibly grateful to Stacy and her friends have raised a staggering amount in memory of their beloved friend Charlotte. Furthermore, the awareness they have helped raise is vital to ensure that more people know the changes of perimenopause and menopause, and know what help is available. The funds raised will ensure we can reach more people with our trusted information and support to reduce the suffering.”
Menopause and mental health
Everybody experiences menopause differently, and for some people, it can affect their mental wellbeing. No one should struggle with menopause and mental health, discover what can help.
Please know that low mood and feelings of depression can be very common symptoms along with many other psychological symptoms. Some people can have very negative and intrusive thoughts in that they contemplate suicide. If you have felt suicidal or on the edge, ensure you reach out and speak with someone today through one of the available helplines below and talk about it. They will help you get through that frightening moment and make more sense of your current situation.
Samaritans: call 116 123 or email [email protected]
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK: call 0800 689 5652
SHOUT: text on 85258
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): call 0800 58 58 58
