Leesa Mountford says three and a half years ago she was left shocked and unsure of who to turn to when her 25-year-old son, Josh Clarke, took his own life.

Knowing she wanted to do more for raising awareness about suicide, Leesa founded I Got You, a volunteer-led organisation that hosts community events to encourage conversations and share where in Canberra to seek help from.

Josh’s two sisters Mackenzie and Taylor Brown also volunteer at I Got You.

Mackenzie says: “I don’t think anyone expects a suicide to happen to them, but it does impact a whole community.

“Everybody that Josh knew, and he had a large group of friends, it impacted everybody in a different way, it’s the ripple effect.”

In the lead up to World Suicide Prevention Day, on September 10, Leesa says I Got You is organising the Trek of all Trades car convoy, which they first held last year.

The Trek of all Trades will take place on September 15, starting at 8am at the Kamberra Winery Function Centre car park, and finishing at Black Mountain Peninsula, where there will be a barbecue.

Leesa says the tradie aspect comes from Josh, who was working in building and construction before he died.

She says: “He’d been offered an apprenticeship in carpentry the week before he [took his own life] and a lot of Josh’s mates are tradies, so it was really about how we can support the building and construction industry, and we’re honouring his legacy while we’re doing that.”

Taylor says: “Our purpose in bringing people together in situations like this is as a reminder that there are people around you. 

“We’ve noticed… access to support is not there straight away, unless you know of something like Lifeline.

“So being able to bring people together, understand that there are people there, but also, that you don’t need to be a professional to assist someone, or to remind someone they’re not alone.”

Leesa says the feedback for the event has been fantastic, with businesses providing financial and emotional support, particularly Delnas Metal Roofing and the Elvin Family.

Leesa says: “Even though Canberra is small, it’s good that the community can come together.”

“We’re not professionals, but we’re all there to support each other, […] and it’s not clinical, a lot of people go because they know us and our family, or they had a connection to Josh, but there were a few people last year that didn’t know about Josh and they were like, ‘I was having a really rough time so I thought I’d come down’.

“You don’t have to know us, you can just come down for the day.

“You don’t have to have a trade ute, or a van, you don’t have to be in the trade [industry] to participate, it’s just raising awareness that suicide is happening, and the more we talk about it, the more that we’re going to encourage those difficult conversations.”

Leesa encourages early registration for the Trek of all Trades event, as there will only be limited registration on the morning of the car convoy.

The registration fee of $20 entitles participants to an I Got You car flag, and will be used to cover costs of the barbecue.

Register at igotyou.org.au.

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