A YORK-BASED charity has secured a top football club location for the third leg of an art exhibition in honour of a much-loved dad, previously held in the city centre.
The exhibition, which was created by York Mind in honour of father of two Bruce Wetherhill, who took his own life in December 2020 aged 31, was also shown at Bruce’s home town of Tadcaster and is now heading to Leeds United's Elland Road as part of a regional tour to raise awareness of the statistics on death by suicide.
The event was made possible because Bruce's family and friends raised more than £31,000 for York Mind. The money has been put to good use on two free projects for young men and people representing as male; a sporting part called Active Minds, partnering with York City Football Club and York Knights and CrossFit Jorvik and a second element called My Mind On A Mural, an art project run by Art Specialists with a number of staff from York Mind to aid mental health discussions.
Bruce was a lifelong Leeds United Football Club fan and the exhibition, which was created with the help of artist Keith Hopewell, features the Leeds United badge.
Simon Wood, health and wellbeing lead at the Leeds United Foundation, said: “The Leeds United under 21s regularly train at York Community Stadium and there have always been good links between the two cities.
"I’m also from Tadcaster myself and the fact that Bruce Wetherhill was a Leeds United fan means it’s an honour to have the exhibition at Elland Road.”
The news comes just in time to have the exhibits shipped to Leeds for the forthcoming World Mental Health Day on Tuesday (October 10) by York based company Glasshaus, which has offered its services free of charge.
Team members from York Mind said they have been gearing up to bring the issue of death by suicide to a much wider audience.
Stef Bricklebank, young people’s group manager at York Mind, said: “This project, which has been funded by Bruce’s family and friends, is the culmination of many months of working within the local community on suicide prevention, but this issue is a much a bigger one.
"Every year, somewhere in the region of 6,000 people die by suicide - that’s enough to almost fill York Community Stadium.
"In North Yorkshire, the suicide rate for males is higher than for females, reflecting the national findings. We have to start talking openly about suicide and where better than at Elland Road?”
*If life is difficult you can call Samaritans any hour, any day, on the free phone number 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org.
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