Girl, 16, honours mum with 'beacon of hope' bench

A 16‑year‑old girl whose mother took her own life says she hopes a memorial bench will help others in crisis.

Mary, from Hull, raised £2,380 by running 120 miles (193km) in November to fund a memorial bench, made by the charity Legend on the Bench, in honour of her mother, Emma, who died in August 2024.

The bench, now in place at Hull Marina, includes a QR code that directs people to crisis support services. It lights up at night, which the charity described as a "beacon of hope".

Mary said: "I'm happy I've got somewhere to come and remember my mum, but also helps other people. If it saves one person from going through what we've gone though, it's done its job."

Mary's grandfather, Vic, said Emma had "struggled with mental health" for some time.

Mary said she found it difficult to identify somewhere she could go to remember her mother and said the charity was "amazing" when she first heard about it.

Legend on the Bench was founded by Michelle Hazard after the death of her son, Jay Lee Mead.

Hazard said: "What began as a simple idea has grown into something far more meaningful than I could ever have imagined. This project was created with one purpose, to save lives."

She said the benches served as a reminder that support was available and "reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness".

Former Hull City striker Dean Windass, who has previously discussed his own struggles with mental health, said the charity was "unbelievable".

Windass was among the guests at the unveiling of the bench and said Mary was an inspiration.

"She's got through the other side and her mum would be very proud," he added.

"The more benches we have, especially in Hull, the more lives we can save."

Mary said the 120-mile run to raise money for the bench was "difficult, but I wanted it to be difficult".

She said her mother had done a lot of fundraising herself, and believed it was something she would have liked.

"It was good because I couldn't switch off from it. It made me really think, and I needed to do that."

She said mental health was "not spoken about enough".

"The more benches there are, the more awareness it spreads."

Vic said: "She's a determined young lady, very thoughtful and caring."

"If she says she'll do something, she'll do it.

"Her mum would have been proud as punch and absolutely over the moon with what she had achieved."

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