3 Dads Walking: What next for the father fighting for young suicide awareness?

Article and podcast by Correspondent Mel Barham.

Few people could fail to be moved by the '3 dads walking' who recently raised more than 8 hundred thousand pounds after they lost their daughters to suicide.

One of those dads - Mike Palmer from Manchester - lost his daughter Beth last year. She was 17.

Now back home after his epic charity challenge, he's been talking about their incredible achievement and what's next for them in their fight for more young suicide awareness.

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I first met Mike ten years ago, as I covered the story of his attempt to row the Atlantic ocean.

His daughter Beth was eight-years-old, and I interviewed her as part of the story - she excitedly spoke of her pride for her dad.

Last year I would cover the story of their family once again - but in the most tragic of circumstances.

Beth had taken her own life just as lockdown was beginning.

In the days that followed, in the darkest recesses of grief, Mike was introduced to a fellow bereaved father - Tim Owen - who had just lost his daughter Emily, and both say they found great comfort in each other's support.

Linking up with another father, Andy Airey who had lost his daughter Sophie to suicide, the idea of 3 Dads Walking was born.

Walking from Andy's home in Cumbria, to Mike's home in Manchester and on to Tim's home in Kings Lynn in Norfolk, the three dads walked 300 miles, raising awareness of young suicide and stumping up an incredible amount of donations for the suicide prevention charity Papyrus.

Their efforts touched the hearts of people across the country - and even got international recognition, attracting donations from Hollywood A-listers like Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, and Manchester United legend Lou Macari.

Along the way, they were joined by members of the public who had been touched by suicide.

Fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, sons and daughters all walked with them, telling the three dads of their own experiences.

"The walk was an absolutely incredible experience. Twenty one miles a day isn't the biggest challenge in the world but we were carried by the kindness of people.

"The people we met, the people who came to us, telling us their own heartbreaking, hard stories of suicide, losing their children - some decades ago, some so recent, but we were honoured to listen to these stories and the miles went away, they just ticked away.

"We rarely walked alone."

• READ MORE: Mel Barham met the family of Beth Palmer 10 years ago - read her blog Family of Beth Palmer: 'look after each other and talk'

Last month, all three dads wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister casking him to ensure that the topics of mental health and suicide prevention are added to the PSHE curriculum.

They've so far not had a response from the Prime Minister, but Mike told Granada Reports that they are determined to pursue that.

You can find out much more about their stories, and how to donate on their website here.