Legend on the Bench Charity is launched - October 2023
LEGEND ON THE BENCH Someone is always listening...
About Legend On The Bench
Hi.
I'm Micky Hazard and I'd like to take this opportunity of introducing you to “Legend on the Bench” How we’ve come about and what our aims and objectives are.......
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 ( jays brother ) the family struggled to find answers to why their beautiful son had decided to take the path he had.
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.
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 is 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 fund raising event was in March 2023 in Peterborough with Steve Perryman. The night was a big success and we raised in excess of £1300. We were on our way towards raising enough money to pay for our first bench. Thank you to all who made a donation and played your part in a very successful evening, we couldn't have done it without you.
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.
Mental health can change the lives of people forever, whether that be for you, your family or people around you.......
If you need help, just talk, someone is always listening! There is absolutely no stigma attached to mental health sufferers seeking help... in fact we want you to speak.
Be Kind everyone, we all need each other so let’s save some lives X
Micky 💙💙💙
Our Vision
Our vision at Legend on the Bench, is combat Mental Health issues and Suicides by providing resources of support to those in need.
There should be no stigma attached to either of these, and you have found a safe environment to research and obtain contact information for yourself or someone who needs it.
Our goal is to install benches in public parks throughout the UK, with the same contact information that can be accessed by anyone with a smart phone.
Simply scan the QR code and you will be directed to our reference list of professional support groups, with contact numbers, websites and email addresses
