I was lucky enough to get a ballot place in the Great North Run in Newcastle in September 2019, and being relatively new to running and needing some focus and reason for running a half marathon, I decided I would try to raise some funds for a small and local charity.
I work with Pam Nugent who along with her son Christopher set up the Laurence Trust.
Pam’s youngest son Laurence suffered from a severe eating disorder which impacted his mental and physical health. He suffered from depression and tried to take his own life 3 times. Pam and her husband Frank tried to get help for Laurence but there was little understanding about male eating disorders and there were no offers of appropriate support to help Laurence manage his suffering.
On the evening of Tuesday 29th September 2009, Laurence went to bed complaining of a pain in his chest. His family thought the pain was as a result of muscle strain due to constant vomiting, but unfortunately this was not the case. Laurence suffered a major heart attack due to complications caused by his eating disorder, and in the small hours of Wednesday 30th, passed away. He was 24 years old.
Even though Pam and her family were grieving, they, along with some of Laurence’s closest friends, set up a charity to raise awareness of male eating disorders, to help break the sigma of eating disorders in men and boys, and to provide help, support and ultimately hope for those suffering from eating disorders and their families and loved ones.
They offer an information helpline 6 days a week (6-9pm) manned solely by volunteers, provide information literature on male eating disorders and also help to provide education and support to the families of those affected - something which wasn’t available for them.
The Laurence Trust is a small, self-funded local charity born out of grief and love for Laurence. Every penny I raise will go towards this very deserving and heartfelt cause.
