Orange aid to Oli’s memorial charity
ON SATURDAY, it will be three years to the day when JFS pupil Oli Leigh took his own life. He was 16.
To mark the anniversary, the Oli Leigh Trust — the charity set up in his memory by his mother Michelle — is launching a social media campaign #orange4oli (orange was Oli’s favourite colour).
The charity works to prevent suicide and self-harm among teenagers through a combination of training, education and support, and aims to raise vital funds through the new initiative.
Trust volunteer Corinne Miller explained that community members were being asked to take a picture of themselves with something orange, tag three friends to do the same and donate a minimum of £1 via www.justgiving.com/fundraising/orange4oli.
She added that Oli was polite and loving, offering help wherever needed.
He fundraised for Jewish Care, assisted in care homes, manned phones for charity appeals and took part in many Maccabi GB events.
But his mother maintains that this was a front to cover insecurities.
Most children are able to deal with life but some cannot find their place’
“When our children leave primary school, their cocoon of protection is completely stripped away. They enter secondary school and the world we have tried to protect them from opens up.
“Most children are able to deal with life but there are children who are vulnerable and cannot find their place and hide their feelings. Depression is an invisible illness.
“I hope by remembering my Oli in this way, more teenagers and young adults will realise that suicide is preventable and not inevitable.”