National Bereaved Parents Day: Remembering Charlie

There is no greater pain in life than to lose a loved one. Saying goodbye to your son is a torture no parent should ever endure. This National Bereaved Parents Day, Tim Watkins, Charlie’s father, shares how the Charlie Watkins Foundation is helping keep his legacy alive.

Charlie was always able to light up the room. His kindness, bubbly personality, beaming smile and catalogue of jokes were infectious. All those amazing traits were even broadcast for the country to see when he appeared on TV.

He had a great relationship with his brother, a beloved group of friends and a bright future ahead of him with a degree from the University of York. Mental ill health took that all away from him. It took him away from us.

We all struggled following the death of Charlie’s mother when he was just nine years old. But none of us knew just how much Charlie was going through until it was too late.

I didn’t know much about mental health and the issues so many of us hide until Charlie’s death. Ever since, the Charlie Watkins Foundation team has worked tirelessly to open up the conversation and raise awareness of the problems we can all face.

It is our job to not only keep his incredible legacy alive, but to drive forward positive change so no family has to endure the pain of losing a loved one to suicide.

Together, we are working to raise awareness about the mental struggles young people face and to improve the support and service provision available to them.

Likewise, we want to show parents who have been through the same pain that no child is ever forgotten.

National Bereaved Parents Day (July 3) is all about that. Both for parents who have lost a child to suicide, or for any other reason, it is a day to show they are not alone.

This year’s theme is “Remember Me”. Be it his whit, his charm or his infectious smile, Charlie and everything that made him who he was will never be forgotten.

We continue to work with our partners – both local and national – to ensure his legacy lives on. If you would like to support us on our mission to improve mental health support for young people, please consider donating to our cause.