Ben Hope - 3peaks2speak

On the 4th of March, Ben Hope, a charismatic and ambitious 19-year-old student at the University of Leeds tragically took his own life in an ongoing battle with anxiety. He was not only an incredible housemate but was a beloved son, brother and inspiration to those around him.

For those of you who knew Ben, you were the lucky ones. The Ben we knew was confident, social and truly loved life. Whether it was with his sarcasm, intellectual wit or his ability to make light of dire situations, he never failed to make people laugh and genuinely smile, and for that, we will always be eternally grateful. Ben was thoughtful and annoyingly wise beyond his years; he loved a debate and, in his eyes, would always be right. On the outside, he had everything going for him and was cherished by everyone that knew or had even met him.

We have decided to take on the Yorkshire 3 peak challenge attempting to walk 24 miles and climb a combined altitude of over 1600 metres in his honour. We are also opening the final peak to those who want to join the fight and pay their respects to Ben, giving him the send-off he very much deserves. We are also reaching out for any support to contribute to the CALM charity and to raise awareness surrounding mental health, as this is something that can affect anyone and everyone.

Checking up on family and friends is more important than ever to combat the suicide epidemic; every four days a student in the UK takes their own life. With your help, we hope to make a difference together; by sharing Ben's story, we can fight the battle against mental illnesses and normalise conversations regarding mental health. If you are going through something similar, please open up and seek professional help, it is okay to suffer, but it is a problem to suffer in silence.

Ben, we all miss you so very much and will take you with us in everything we do throughout our lives. We wish you could see the lasting impact you have had on us and on more people than you could ever imagine.

Thank you all for taking the time to read.

Mental health matters.