A determined mother and her 12-year-old son from Stalybridge have taken on the gruelling Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise awareness for men’s mental health, in memory of a beloved family member lost to suicide.
The challenge, which involves scaling the peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough, a 24-mile trek usually completed within 12 hours, was not just a physical feat, but an emotional journey for the family. The pair were joined by close friends and relatives, all walking in solidarity to support mental health charities, including local group Live Great Adventures.
“It was absolutely a challenge, really, really tough,” Jeni Ives shared. “We wanted something that would really push us, something symbolic of the struggle people face mentally. My 12-year-old wasn’t going to do it at first, but in the end, he said, ‘I’ll do it with you.’ And he did all 24 miles.”
The walk is deeply personal for the family. In 2021, Jeni’s brother took his own life shortly after turning 30. “He was so close to my son. At the time, my son was only eight, and it’s hard to explain something like that to a child. You just say, ‘his head was poorly,’ because how else do you say it?”
This year’s challenge follows a series of annual fundraisers the family has committed to for five years in honour of her brother’s memory. Last year, they raised over £2,000 through a vibrant community event at Sykes Bar in Stalybridge, featuring drag queens, raffles, and ticketed entertainment, a nod to her brother’s presence in the LGBTQ+ community.
“We do something different every year. It takes a lot of planning, and it’s emotional. But it’s our way of turning grief into something good,” Jeni said.
So far, this year’s effort has raised nearly £1,200, with around £700 through the group’s GoFundMe page and an impressive £450 raised independently by her son. His dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. “He got up at 4 a.m. and just kept going,” Jeni said. “There was a point around the second peak where he started to struggle, but we took our time, had snacks, and suddenly he got a second wind, he even started running at one point!”
After the final peak, the exhaustion hit. “We all got to the bottom of the last one and thought, ‘We’re not going to do this.’ But we did. And when we got home, he was asleep in the car in minutes but so proud of himself.”
The pride extended to school, where his teachers and friends had supported his fundraiser. “He’s had a Head Teacher’s Recognition Award he’s absolutely buzzing.”
Beyond the physical and emotional test, the family’s ongoing mission is simple: to get people talking about mental health especially men’s. “So many carry these silent burdens. We want to challenge that silence with something loud, visible, and real.”
For now, the next fundraiser is already in the family’s thoughts another step in their five-year promise to honour a life lost too soon, and to help save others.
If you’d like to donate or support their cause, you can visit the group’s GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/15db4354
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Please contact Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
Former Wilko unit approved as a Hub for Post-16 Education
Bin crew praised for helping resident with dementia
Tameside resident celebrates over two decades of caring through Shared Lives
Latics star Kian Harratt identified as man who threw chair in Ibiza brawl
