Garstang family scale Ben Nevis in honour memory of son
The Backhouse family from Garstang are climbing Ben Nevis this week to mark what would have been their son’s 21st birthday.Lucas Backhouse died from suicide aged just 18 years.
Lucas' 3 brothers and family are climbing the UKs largest mountain to raise funds for Papyrus- prevention of young suicide charity. Lucas attended St Mary and Michael's Primary school and was a keen Garstang rugby club player and Explorer Scout. Angela, Lucas' mum explains, "We started the 3 peaks challenge when Lucas was still here, so it seems fitting to finish the challenge in his memory for his 21st birthday. Suicide still remains the single leading cause of death for young people under 35s in the UK. This is a shocking statistic and more needs to be done." Sadly, over 200 schoolchildren each year decide that they no longer wish to choose living. The latest published statistics (2021) show an increase in numbers, despite all of our efforts to support mental health.