Lachlann Gordon's Raising4Rosie

In July last year I lost my girlfriend Rosie Roche. Rosie was one of the most incredible people I have ever met and it’s still hard to make sense that she is no longer here. She was funny, beautiful and one of the best people to spend an afternoon with from reading and relaxing to debating one of the most niche aspects of literature you’ve ever heard of. Just four months earlier, Rosie had been diagnosed with bipolar II. She was in the early stages of treatment when she took her own life.

Rosie was loved by all of her friends and most people felt the same within minutes of meeting her. I would often leave the room only to come back to find her trying her hand on my flatmate’s DJ decks or deep in conversation pulling apart the meaning of a book with people she had only just met. She was rarely without a book or a camera. Always reading, scribbling in the margins, or photographing diving swallows.

My time with Rosie was one of the happiest of my life. This July, alongside her family and friends, I'll be running the Race to the Stones 100km ultramarathon in her name. The race consists of two 50km days running the Ridgeway ending at the towering stones of Avebury. This is the equivalent of two and a bit marathons back to back. Before November last year I had never really run and could never have imagined doing it but in the past few months I have found the training to be one of the best ways of getting through it all.
We hope that through raising funds for two charities; Suicide&Co and the Whitley Fund for Nature, that some amazing work can be achieved in Rosie's name and that her spirit can live on.

Bereavement in all forms can be traumatic, however, suicide often brings a range of added emotions to navigate.
Suicide&Co is the only national charity in the UK focused on professional support for people bereaved by suicide. Their mission is to provide essential support and open up the conversation about suicide loss, so no one has to go through it alone.

At the heart of what they do is the support they offer. They have a range of services, including their extraordinary Counselling Service. Any adult bereaved by suicide in England and Wales can access their Counselling Service and receive 12 free sessions with Level 4 Qualified Counsellors. They also provide both practical and emotional support offered by their Support Team and a wealth of online resources, both here on their website and on their App.

Donations made in Rosie’s memory will help provide counselling sessions and support to someone bereaved by suicide.

She found wonder in the natural world wherever she was, whether travelling through Africa or sitting watching the sun go down over the river in Easton Grey, this is why we are also raising money for the Whitley Fund for Nature

The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) supports outstanding grassroots conservation leaders working to protect some of the world’s most threatened ecosystems and wildlife.

For over 30 years, WFN has funded local experts across Latin America, Africa and Asia, directing more than £26 million into conservation projects and helping protect 45 million hectares of critical habitat worldwide.

Based in London and championed by HRH The Princess Royal and Sir David Attenborough, WFN is one of the world’s most respected conservation charities.

Donations made in Rosie’s memory will help fund vital conservation work on the ground, supporting those protecting our planet at a time when biodiversity preservation has never been more urgent.

We would be extremely grateful if you could kindly donate to these two amazing charities and any donation however small will make a massive difference.