A scenic trek across five Sussex peaks is raising funds and awareness for suicide prevention.
The Worthing Five Peaks Challenge, set to take place on September 5, is organised by national suicide prevention charity Olly’s Future and will take walkers through the South Downs National Park.
The 17-mile route includes Cissbury Ring, Chanctonbury Ring, Chantry Hill, Black Patch Hill and Highdown Hill, while a shorter six-mile walk takes in just Cissbury Ring.
The walk is held in memory of Oliver (Olly) Hare, who took his own life in February 2017, just before his 23rd birthday.
Ann Feloy, founder of Olly’s Future, said: “Come join us for a beautiful adventure.
“You’ll be helping us raise funds during World Suicide Prevention Week, enjoying amazing countryside views and doing something great for your own wellbeing.”
Ms Feloy, who lives in Worthing, established Olly’s Future in 2020 to help others by raising awareness of suicide and equipping people with the confidence and skills to ask someone if they are having suicidal thoughts.
Her work led to the creation of the Talking about Suicide: Ten Tools training programme, developed in partnership with mental health specialist Rose Rowkins.
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Ann and Oliver. (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)
The course has now reached more than 11,500 people worldwide.
Ms Feloy also developed Dr SAMS (Suicide Awareness in Medical Students), a programme delivered to medical schools across the UK as part of the first-year curriculum.
She has advised staff at Number 10 Downing Street and successfully campaigned to change NICE guidelines.
This helped ensure face-to-face consultations are standard for first-time antidepressant prescriptions—a change made after Olly was prescribed Citalopram by phone without a mental health history.
To sign up for the walk, visit ollysfuture.org.uk/events/fivepeakschallenge.
Ms Feloy said: “After taking that for four days it massively increased his anxiety and he took his own life.
“I really can’t help feeling that had he been seen face to face, had he had a therapeutic conversation with the doctor about suicide, it may well have saved him.”
The Worthing Five Peaks Challenge is now in its second year and continues to raise vital funds and awareness for suicide prevention.
