Suicide prevention charity champion, Carl Wales from Rainhill, Merseyside, has been named Volunteer of the Year in the North West Charity Awards 2019.
Since the sad loss of his son Rowan to suicide in 2016 Carl has dedicated himself to volunteering and raising vital funds for national charity PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide as part of Rowan’s legacy.
It can be daunting to talk about a tough subject such as suicide. As a passionate champion for the charity, Carl has worked relentlessly to tackle the stigma around suicide, delivering awareness sessions to hundreds of people across the country, mostly onsite within Wates Construction where he is a safety, health and environment manager.
Said Ged Flynn, PAPYRUS chief executive: “It was very moving to see Carl receive this award, recognising his commitment to transforming his personal tragedy into hope for so many others. I am always moved when parents bereaved by suicide do this for the benefit of many other young people. A huge vote of thanks to Carl for all he does in the name of PAPYRUS across the North West and beyond.”
Ever modest, Carl said receiving the award was a huge surprise. “I felt sure other volunteers were more deserving. However, I feel a deep sense of pride and appreciation at being recognised this way. It makes everything I do in Rowan’s memory as a volunteer for PAPYRUS truly worthwhile. It gives me the strength and determination to carry on raising awareness and offering whatever support I can.”
PAPYRUS gained further awards including Fundraising Team of the Year. Chief Executive Ged Flynn was highly commended as Best Director of the Year and other highly commended accolades were for Best Digital/Social Media of the Year and Best Charity of the Year.
