THE father of a York student who took his own life a year ago has since given a major boost to mental health awareness at racing yards, studs and racecourses across the country.

Simon Jones has raised almost £20,000 in memory of his son Tim to fund mental health awareness courses at Middleham, Doncaster, Cheltenham, Lambourne and Newmarket, which have been attended by 158 people. There are also 102 mental health first aiders now trained and in place all over the country.

Tim, a promising horse rider, was studying agriculture and land management at Askham Bryan College when he died in May last year, aged 17.

Tim Whitaker, the college’s acting CEO and Principal, said then that Tim had been a ‘popular and highly regarded’ member of the community, who was a promising event rider and a member of the college’s Riding Academy.

Simon said Tim, a former student at Queen Ethelburga’s College, near York, had been involved in racing since he was 10, mucking out, riding out, leading up and schooling young horses. He was attached to Micky Hammond’s Middleham yard, spending all his school holidays there, building up his dream of being a trainer, and Micky had described him as “an unbelievably talented rider.”

He said he understood young people were reluctant to talk about their problems, and the only sign that something might be wrong with Tim was that he had been unusually irritable and short-tempered.

He felt that if mental health first aiders were in stable yards, such problems might be picked up and help provided to prevent further tragedies.

Simon then launched a fundraising campaign in Tim’s memory for the charity Racing Welfare, with the money raised to be used to fund special training in mental health issues for volunteers from yards, so they might be able to spot signs of problems amongst staff, talk to them and persuade them to seek professional help.

He said he wanted to build on the charity’s programme of developing mental health awareness amongst its own staff, with his goal being to have a mental health first aider in every stable yard in the country.

To support the continuing appeal, go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/s-jones38.

If you need to call the Samaritans, the number is 116 123.