Touching tribute to 'kind and genuine' Mind volunteer who took her own life aged 22

Family and friends will gather to remember a 'kind and genuine' 22-year-old following her death earlier this month.

Grace Nevens, from Morpeth, was described as 'one of the kindest, most genuine people' you'd ever meet. Between her studies and athletics training, she also volunteered for mental health charity Mind's befriending service in Leeds.

But her family said that on Monday, November 4, Grace sadly took her own life, bringing huge sadness to her family, friends and the community.

Now, the University of Leeds Athletics Society, where Grace was a member, is planning to honour the former Leeds University student, and raise awareness of mental health and suicide, by running 22km in 22 hours on Tuesday, November 26. Grace had been a member of the Leeds Athletics Society whilst studying Drama at Leeds University.

Any donations raised through the 22km run will be donated to Mind to fund the vital work they do supporting people who are struggling with their mental health.

Grace's sister Lucy and her parents Sharon and Neil Nevens will join local friends who will also be taking part in the 22 for Grace. However, the family will be running a route around Morpeth incorporating local sites that meant so much to Grace.

Caitlin Minns, a member of Leeds Athletics Society, close friend of Grace and organiser of the 22 for Grace run said: "Since Grace had been with us for 22 years, I thought we could run 22km in 22 hours for those 22 years she was alive. Grace was so funny, always up for a laugh. But she was also the kind of girl that nothing was ever too much for, if it meant she was helping someone else. She was so giving and if she could help anyone in any way she would."

The initial target for the run was £200 but £15,000 has been raised so far. But after Caitlin got in touch with the Leeds Athletics Society to pitch her idea and set up the Just Giving page, she woke the next day to see that the £200 target had already been massively surpassed.

She added: "The support was crazy. I remember sitting in my bed thinking of the idea one minute, and having raised £7,000 within the next two days."

Participants can choose from a range of options to complete the challenging, allowing for flexibility. Caitlin, who is currently on an exchange year in Australia, will be running a kilometre every hour for 22 hours.

While other runners have chosen to do the 22k in one stint, and some participants have arranged themselves into teams and will run a set amount of kilometres each, adding up to 22km cumulatively.

"We made it flexible because obviously people have got uni, so it's just however they best want to honour Grace's life", Caitlin added.

The Just Giving page for the run can be found here.

So many of Grace's friends, both in Leeds, Morpeth and nationwide have felt her loss and felt the need to join the 22 for Grace or help raise suicide awareness in other ways, including Grace's friend Rosie Bowden's sponsored walk from Morpeth to Newcastle's Theatre Royal, where both girls studied on the Theatre's Project A Drama programme for a year.

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