3 days ago
Six take on charity bike ride in memory of friend
Six teenage boys are planning to ride from Telford to Liverpool in memory of a friend who took his own life.
They all attended Haberdashers Adams in Newport, Shropshire, along with Max Turton, who died last August, aged 16.
Their 100-mile (161 km) ride will start on Friday from AFC Telford United's stadium and finish at Anfield stadium, the home of Max's favourite club, Premier League champions Liverpool.
Wes, Dillon, Ewan, Sonny, Arwinder and Ollie also plan to raise money for the suicide-prevention charity Papyrus.
The boys, who now attend sixth form colleges in the region, plan to cycle 60 miles on Friday and then stay at a hotel in Northwich, before completing the remaining 40 miles on Saturday.
Ollie said Max was a "joy to everybody around him" and who was dedicated "to making every single person that he knew smile".
He said they spent "so many hours laughing together".
Dillon described him as "a caring, hard-working, funny and most of all a truly loving person".
The ride to Anfield was chosen because Max was "the biggest Liverpool fan going", Ollie said.
They have already raised almost £4,000 for the cycle ride, and he said the charity, Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide, which has been supported by Max's parents, was "the perfect charity to donate to".
He said the challenge would be tough physically but also very emotional, and he hoped they would find motivation from "knowing exactly why we're doing it and who we're doing it for".
Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Parents encourage talking about mental health
'I just want to feel ordinary' – Is the mental health system failing teens?
Your Voice, Your Vote: Mental health crisis in young
Suicide the leading cause of death for young Scots
Papyrus
