A Keswick woman has launched a hard-hitting campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues after her cousin took his own life.
Holly Horsley is still coming to terms with the death of 21-year-old Kyle Dilks, and, along with his friend Louis Nyas — also aged 21 — has set about raising cash to fill venues and businesses across Cumbria with posters and beer mats highlighting the importance of discussing mental health.
She has been designing posters and beer mats containing messages such as “It’s okay to not be okay” as well as talking to the media and co-ordinating with mental health charities to get the message out.
Kyle, who lived in Cramlington in the North East, has been her inspiration and she described him as “an absolutely incredible person”.
“You would never find a bad word spoken about him,” said 31-year-old Holly, who is a former co-chairman of Sustainable Keswick and jointly runs a business called Natural Cumbria.
“He was a ray of light. His smile was infectious and his story has touched thousands of lives.”
Holly and Louis have set up a Justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/louis-nyas#forkyle, which has raised £4,000 — enough to have 200,000 beer mats printed.
They are enlisting the help of other mental health charities and have been in touch with the Newcastle United Foundation and Newcastle United FC — Kyle was a season ticket holder — to ask them to get involved.
Most of the bars, restaurants and businesses in Keswick which have been approached have signalled that they are keen to get on board, and town and district councillor Sally Lansbury, who is chairman of Sustainable Keswick, has agreed to distribute the posters and mats around the town.
“There has been a lot of support across Cumbria,” said Holly, who has recently moved to Roweltown, near Carlisle.
“Literally everybody who has been contacted has said they want to be involved.
“Our campaign is urgent and we need more support, so if anyone is interested in getting involved they can send me an email to [email protected]
Kyle was the great grandson of the late Rene Davies, who set up Davies Taxis, Little Dodd Garden Centre and Pandora’s Box among several ventures in Keswick. She died two years ago.
His great uncle is Ken Taylor who ran cross Crosthwaite Garage for many years before retiring earlier this year.
