Plant bingo and pizzas for suicide prevention

The mother of a teenager who tragically took her own life is staging a plant bingo and pizza evening in aid of a young people’s suicide prevention charity.

The evening at Tavistock Town Hall is a fundraiser for the charity Papyrus charity in memory of Darcy Hollinson who took her life aged 17, in April, 2021, after a mental health battle exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event begins at 6.30pm with the plant bingo (offering prizes of largely house plants and others as prizes) from 7.30pm in a social atmosphere with pizzas from Exe Valley Pizza and a licensed bar. The raffle includes prizes such as a limited edition first print of the Beacon of Hope by Marcel Witte and holidays in Mousehole, Cornwall; and at the Dartmoor Inn, Lydford. For further details call Debbie Hollinson on 07970 614000 email: [email protected]

Darcy’s Tavistock family is also preparing to cross the Sahara Desert in her memory to raise funds and awareness to help prevent young suicide.

On Saturday, November 21, Debbie and Michael Hollinson will lead Team Darcy on a 100-kilometre trek across the desert. Every step will honour Darcy and support Papyrus.

Her loss devastated her parents, brother and sister, friends and the Tavistock community. Team Darcy was created so the way she died would never be the whole story about her, say her parents.

Her family remembers Darcy as bright, bubbly, determined, kind and funny. Darcy loved horses and embraced new experiences. She considered becoming a lawyer, dentist, archaeologist, joining the Navy or becoming a horsewoman.

Morocco was chosen because the last holiday Darcy shared with her dad was a trip to Marrakech for her sixteenth birthday. Returning will be emotional, say Debbie and Michael.

Team Darcy hopes to raise £100,000, with more than £24,000 already donated. The campaign aims to fund vital services, encourage responsible conversations about suicide and make reliable sources of support more widely known.

PAPYRUS provides free, confidential support through HOPELINE247 for young people experiencing thoughts of suicide and anyone concerned about a young person. The charity also provides training and resources for families, schools, workplaces and communities.

Every ticket, auction bid, quiz entry, donated prize and shared post will help Team Darcy move closer to its target. The events also create opportunities to talk openly and safely about suicide prevention and ensure that young people and those concerned about them know where to turn.

For Debbie, Michael and the team, the Sahara trek is a memorial, a demanding challenge and a practical commitment to helping others. They will carry Darcy's memory across every kilometre and hope the Tavistock community will support them by attending an event, offering sponsorship, donating or sharing the campaign.

Follow “Team Darcy - 100km Across the Sahara Desert” on Facebook and Instagram for event tickets and updates. Donations can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/page/100km-sahara-trek-one-step-at-a-time.