Shine for Sian raises £31k to help others

The family of Morecambe teenager Sian Waterhouse have raised over £31,000 for pioneering mental health charity Lancashire Mind in the wake of their daughter's suicide.
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The record-breaking donation, the largest in Lancashire Mind’s history, has led to the charity increasing its preventative work with children and young people in Morecambe.

As a result of a series of fundraising events, which have taken place over the past seven months, Sian’s family, friends and her local community have raised enough money to enable Lancashire Mind to extend their Happier Lancashire initiative, which delivers wellbeing talks to primary and secondary school children, as well as community groups.

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Sian’s father and step mother have also recently set up peer support groups in Morecambe; a group for women and one for men.

Sian Waterhouse.Sian Waterhouse.
Sian Waterhouse.

The groups provide an informal safe space to get people together to support one another with their wellbeing. For more information search for ‘Shine for Sian’ on Facebook.

Rachael Ray, Lancashire Mind’s Community Development Lead, said: “Sian’s family contacted us soon after Sian died by suicide and wanted to know what they could do to help other young people.

“The funds that those in Sian’s local community have raised has given us the incredible opportunity to have a greater presence in the Morecambe area and reach out to more young people, locally and further afield, and we cannot thank everyone involved in the fundraising efforts enough for that.”

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Sian’s father Paul Waterhouse said: “We will continue to fundraise in Sian’s memory so that we can help charities such as Lancashire Mind to continue to help other young people. We are so pleased that the funds we have raised so far mean that Lancashire Mind can work with more young people and help those young people to better understand how to look after their wellbeing.”

“The council have recently refurbished an existing memorial bench for Sian which is situated by the clock tower in Morecambe. The location of the bench means a lot to us as it’s somewhere we, as Sian’s family and friends, can go, sit and remember Sian and all the happy memories we all hold in our hearts.”

To book a Happier Lancashire talk email [email protected] or visitwww.lancashiremind.org.uk/mental-wellbeing.

Sian’s family and friends released balloons in her memory in a special ceremony at Morecambe’s Clock Tower.

Visit https://vimeo.com/257403258 to view moving video footage of the balloon release.

Thanks to Joe Fogerty for the video footage.