A HALESOWEN man has raised £12k by trekking to the peak of Mount Snowdon in memory of his brother who "was always there for everyone".

Matthew McSwiggan scaled Snowdon to raise cash for The Kaleidoscope Plus Group and The Edwards Trust in memory of his brother Kevin who took his own life aged just 40 in December 2020.

He completed the challenge with nine of his brother’s friends on September 18 and has raised £12k which will be split between the two charities.

Matthew was joined on the walk by Ricky Benson, Michael Bradshaw, Dev Patel, Johnny Burns, Luke Madden, Ally Wright, Liam Handlonocous, George Hill and Ash Liddie.

The group took on the Miner's Track and Pyg 7.5 mile circular route, which is rated as difficult.

Matthew said: “Following on from the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health issues are rife, and more and more people are finding themselves struggling and needing help so we wanted to make sure these two charities can continue to support people both now and in the future.”

Matthew described his brother as “a beautiful human who was always there for everyone.”

Halesowen News:

A father of two, Kevin died at his home in Peterborough aged 40 in December 2020 after struggling with his mental health for many years.

Kevin went to Tunisia after the 2015 terror attacks in which 30 Britons, including 19-year-old Joel Richards, from Wednesbury, were killed, to help bring families home.

He also worked for Thomson Holidays, managing hundreds of holiday reps, scores of whom reached out to Matthew after Kevin's death, many saying he was like a brother to them.

Matthew added: “I want to keep Kevin's memory alive and spread his message.

“He always used to say: 'it's okay to not be okay' but he was too busy helping others to help himself. It’s important that people open up to others and speak to friends, family or professionals and don’t turn to any other outlets such as drink or drugs.

“Kev also used to say healthy body, healthy mind and cry when you need to cry, I just hope others can take his advice.”

The Edwards Trust helps children and families dealing with bereavement, while the Kaleidoscope Group champions mental health and wellbeing. Both charities will receive £6k each.

Kaleidoscope Plus Group chief executive Monica Shafaq said: “We are so grateful to Matthew and the rest of the team for raising such a fantastic amount of money. It is through incredible support such as this that we are able to continue to provide our services to help people who may be struggling with their mental health.

“This fantastic amount will fund the equivalent of 200 people receiving support from our text line, speaking with a volunteer to help them reach a calm and safe place with a plan of how to move forward with their lives.

“We want to let people know that it’s okay not to feel okay and that at KPG we are here anytime of the day or night to offer support. If you’re struggling, please text TeamKPG to 85258 for free, confidential support 24/7.”