County Durham charity boss Matthew Smith is running from Chester-le-Street to Downing Street later this year - and he will be delivering a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanding that suicide prevention is addressed as part of Levelling Up.
Matthew, co-founder of the If U Care Share charity based in the town, announced the plan during Mental Health Awareness Week - and he will be urging the PM to include more support for suicide prevention as part of what's been billed as one of the Government's flagship policies.
The run - which will take in almost 300 miles from County Durham to central London - will also double as a key fundraising event. Matthew is hoping to raise a massive £25,000 for the charity's coffers. Speaking to ChronicleLive, Matthew said it was a huge problem that suicide was not mentioned in the Government's Levelling Up white paper.
