Former miner completes 1,050 mile suicide prevention walk
A 69-year-old former miner who lost his son to suicide has completed a 1,050 mile walk from John O'Groats to Land's End to raise money for mental health charity Lighten the Shadows.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Former miner Graham Link, 69, has completed a 1,050 mile walk from John O'Groats to Land's End in aid of suicide prevention. Mr Link, who worked at Sutton Colliery, lost his son to suicide in 2022. He said he chose to help others rather than turn to drink or give up.
The walk took on average 25 miles a day, sometimes reaching 30. He raised money for Lighten the Shadows, a local mental health charity. During the journey he met John Gibson of the Canmore Trust in Scotland, which supports people affected by suicide. Mr Link noted the lack of support available in Scotland, saying people would approach him asking where they could turn.
He also highlighted the scale of male suicide, saying it is the biggest killer of men in their 50s. He hopes his efforts will encourage men to talk and spend time outdoors. Next year he plans to cycle the same route with Martin Hibbert, as both will turn 70. They aim to complete it in nine days, covering more than 100 miles a day. He said the charity's walking and football groups are helping men open up.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | GB News |
|---|---|
| Graham Link lost his son to suicide in 2022 and decided to help others instead of turning to alcohol or suicide. | |
| Graham Link plans to cycle the same route next year with Martin Hibbert when both turn 70. | |
| Graham Link walked 1,050 miles from John O'Groats to Land's End, averaging 25 miles per day. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The interview on Lee Anderson's Real World was framed as a conversation between two former miners, giving it a personal and matey tone. The channel stressed the importance of men talking about mental health, using Graham's story as a local-hero example. It also included light-hearted banter about pulling pints and choosing guests, balancing the serious subject with warmth and humour.
- “I lost my son in 2022. He took his own life. I could have gone three ways. Took to drink, followed him or help other people. I did take the latter.”
- “We need to do more, Graham, to raise awareness and get men talking to each other, don't we?”
- “I'd like to add to that, to get men, even women, to get outdoors. It really helped me get outdoors, be it just walking, a 10-minute walk.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.