Thousands raised for youth suicide prevention charity is 'lasting legacy' of Shropshire teenager who took his own life

Lawley and Overdale Parish Council and its partners have celebrated raising £3,912 for PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.

Members of the parish council presented the donation to PAPYRUS at The Grazing Cow pub in Lawley last month, celebrating the community’s fundraising success.

The council and its partners (Bournville Village Trust and Lawley Running Club) chose to support PAPYRUS following the death of local boy Max Turton in 2024.

Max, who was just 16, tragically took his own life on August 28 of 2024.

His family have committed to raising awareness of PAPYRUS and the issue, to try and prevent other young people and families suffering. PAPYRUS is a UK-based charity dedicated to preventing suicide among young people and promoting positive mental health. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for people under 35 in the UK.

Max, who played for Lawley Lightmoor Stars before stopping to concentrate on his school work, “loved football” and was a big Liverpool FC fan, having been to a game with his dad shortly before he died.  

Katie Turton, Max’s mother, said: “I am deeply grateful to the parish council for choosing PAPYRUS to support all of their fundraising efforts in 2025, in loving memory of my son, Max. Thank you to everyone who has supported and donated - the incredible amount raised will help continue to raise the profile of this amazing charity and create a lasting legacy for him.”

The money was raised throughout 2025 via a variety of community and partnership events with Bournville Village Trust and Lawley Running Club. These included the Lawley 5k Fun Run, Summer Fest, Christmas celebrations, the Christmas pantomime and organised coach trips.

Ged Flynn, chief executive of PAPYRUS, said: “We would like to say a big thank you to Lawley and Overdale Parish Council and to everyone who supported the various local community events.

“Fundraising helps us to continue giving hope to children and young people who are struggling with life.

“We believe that many young suicides are preventable and together we can all help to keep our communities suicide-safe.”

Mark Boylan, chair of Lawley and Overdale Parish Council, said: “This is a great achievement for the area, and we thank everyone who donated and supported our fundraising activities. This will help make a real difference to young people in need.”

Lindsey Powell, Bournville Village Trust community development and partnership officer, said: “Working in partnership with Lawley and Overdale Parish Council and Lawley Running Club provides fantastic opportunities not only to deliver great community activities and events but also to support charities like PAPYRUS.”

For practical, confidential suicide prevention help and advice, contact HOPELINEUK247 on 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org.

For support, advice, or to donate, visit https://www.papyrus-uk.org/.

When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.