A Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Harrogate has raised more than £4,000 for local suicide prevention charity The Jordan Legacy.

Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Self Defence organised a fundraising day in memory of former student Alastair McKenzie, who took his life last year.

Those attending were invited to make donations to attend workshops by guest black belt instructors.

There was also a bake sale and a sale of second hand BJJ kit, and Steve Phillip, founder and director of The Jordan Legacy, gave a talk.

The event supported The Jordan Legacy because Alastair’s widow Tina has been working with the not-for-profit organisation, which aims to reduce suicides by providing support. It easily surpassed the £1,500 fundraising target.

Head instructor Lewis Matthews said the day aimed to bring people together and show the importance of having a team around you as well as raise money in memory of Alastair.

It is running a free women’s self-defence workshop on Sunday, June 25.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu combines grappling and ground work to control and restrain opponents, making it a perfect fit for self defence.

Registration for the two-hour workshop, which is expected to be followed by more similar events this year, is available here.

An event with speakers and charities dedicated to mental health and suicide prevention is to be hosted in Harrogate next month.

The Hope for Life conference has been organised by The Jordan Legacy, a community interest company set up by Steve Phillip, from Harrogate, after his son died of suicide.

The aim of the conference is for people to come and listen to the experience and advice of experts and learn more about protecting your own or someone else’s mental health.

Speakers such as James Ketchell and Jonny Benjamin are there to spread the message of hope and share their own stories of overcoming challenges.

The Jordan Legacy was set up by Mr Phillip when Jordan took his own life in December 2019. It works with businesses to encourage workplace wellbeing and mental health training and to ensure they have people and facilities in place to support staff.

“We want everyone to leave feeling really inspired, we have inspirational speakers, actors, musicians all there to inspire people.

“We have had a mix of people book tickets; some work in mental health, some have lost people to mental health and some are facing their own challenges. Everyone is welcome.”

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The event takes place at the Pavilions of Harrogate on December 1. Tickets can be booked here.

The organisation has already begun planning for its 2022 projects, it hopes to reach out to local schools to talk to young people about mental health.

Mr Phillip said he was aware of the rise in anxiety in young people during the pandemic and felt the organisation could help offer students the tools to recgnise their struggles and seek help.

It also hopes to reach charitable status in the new year.

A Harrogate dad has shared the last messages he exchanged with his son shortly before he took his life to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Steve Phillip founded The Jordan Legacy in his son’s name to improve people’s wellbeing and support available to them.

Jordan was 34 when he took his life on December 4 2019. The day before, Steve and Jordan had been texting each other and talking about meeting up.

But the meeting never happened. Mr Phillip has spoken previously to the Stray Ferret of his anguish.

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Now transcripts of his final message has been made available to encourage others to come forward.

Mr Phillip has also revealed details of the call he received from his son’s girlfriend Charlotte revealing the news.

She broke into the house with the help of a neighbour and found Jordan:

• Me: “Hi Charlotte?”
• Charlotte: “Hi Steve, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. It’s Jordan. He’s killed himself.”

Jordan Phillip.

The call lasted two minutes but Steve does not know what he or Charlotte said for the remaining one minute and 45 seconds. He said:

“Jordan was the kind of person who would stop and chat to homeless people and to local strangers.

“He loved his family and his friends so much that he would often protect them from the ultimate depths of his despair.

“But he was always there for them, no matter how difficult his day was. There was nothing selfish about Jordan, not even at the moment he chose to end his pain.

“He took the time to write notes to his girlfriend Charlotte and his family to let us know that he loved us.

“If I could give any advice to anyone it would be look after those around you, listen to them more, be there, don’t be scared to question the signs you see and ask the difficult questions.”

Mental Health Awareness Week starts today and finishes on Sunday.

The Mental Health Foundation started the event 21 years ago and the annual event has grown to become one of the biggest awareness raising weeks in the UK and globally.

To mark the start of the week, North Yorkshire Police has also revealed how the number of mental health calls it has taken over the last year has grown to 32,117.

That is an increase of 6,512 calls compared to the previous April to March period.

Do you need help or know someone who does? Get help from a mental health charity helpline by tapping here.