A message from our charity ambassador Micky Hazard

TURNING TRAGEDY INTO HOPE

 

Hi, I'm Micky Hazard and I'd like to take this opportunity of introducing you to “Legend on the Bench”- a charity born from both deep personal loss and a desire to make a difference.

 

In 2019, my sister Michelle’s 23-year-old son Jay, sadly took his own life due to mental health issues. 

Jay was a fun loving, vibrant young man, always laughing and joking, the loving son, every mother wished for.  Though his family were aware that Jay had some issues, not in their wildest dreams did they expect to come home and find that he’d taken his own life.  Left devastated, Michelle Lee and  Louis ( Jay’s brother ) the family struggled to find answers to why their beautiful son had decided to take the path he had.

 

WHY LEGEND ON THE BENCH WAS CREATED

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Mental health problems affect around one in four people in any given year and can often lead to suicide.  The causes of suicide are very complex and there's rarely one single cause, so many questions, so few answers.   It's unbelievable how many people are unaware that there is help out there to support them in times of crisis, someone is ready to listen, maybe even just a shoulder to cry on without judgement.   Thus,  my sister and I have joined forces to build this charity offering the support at the very moment anyone needs it with the Legend Benches.

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OUR AIMS

 

Our aim is to support people suffering from mental health issues and thus prevent loss of a life due to suicide.   To do this, we aspire to place informative benches in every local park in the UK.  These benches will have plaques with QR codes, which will take anyone requiring support, directly to this website’s help page.  There are also contact telephone numbers on the bench to 24 hour support services with real people at the other end, ready to listen and offer the support so clearly needed to someone struggling with the impact of depression, bereavement, loneliness, anxiety and the many more reasons for the feelings of despair.  These benches have also been built with integral lighting, so they are a beam of light for those in crisis at night, drawing them to the much-needed help on the bench.

 

OUR FIRST BENCH

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On Monday 26th February 2024 we were privileged to unveil our first bench in Sawbridgeworth,  Hertfordshire,  in memory of Jay Lee Mead,  Michelle and Lee  Meads wonderful son, Louis’s only  brother and my nephew.   Many well-known faces and our supporters, such as footballers Ossie Ardiles, Pat Jennings, Brian Stein, David Howells and Tony Mortimer from the 1990’s pop band E17, attended together with friends, family and our charities team of fantastic volunteers, thank you to everyone who attended.   We miss Jay every day but are grateful for the legacy of hope that Jay leaves behind in these benches.

 

OUR PROMISE

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Mental health can change the lives of people forever, whether that be for you, your family or people around you.......Legend on the Bench is more than a memorial, its a promise-that noone has to face their darkest moments alone.

 

JOIN US

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Together, we hope to prevent further loss of life and create places where help and support is just a seat away. Together lets turn pain into support and memory into action.

 

Courage is what it takes to stand up and talk:

Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen:

 

Micky 💙💙💙