Heartbroken Sheffield family set up fund in memory of Molly

Molly was a typical child, cheeky and mischievous.
Molly Hurst.Molly Hurst.
Molly Hurst.

From an early age it was clear what a caring person she was - and she enjoyed spending time with her family and many close friends throughout her life.

Drama was a great love of hers which she continued with throughout her education.

Molly as a child.Molly as a child.
Molly as a child.
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She attended Ridgeway Primary School and Eckington High School and was always the star of the school plays.

In those first few years there was no indication of the problems she would struggle with later in life.

Last May, Molly Hurst took her own life at the age of 22 - leaving her mum Linda, dad David, sister Keren and countless friends and family heartbroken.

Through their grief they realised that they needed to take action to ensure more help is available for young people to support their mental health and wellbeing.

Molly on holiday in Iceland.Molly on holiday in Iceland.
Molly on holiday in Iceland.
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Linda said: “Outwardly, Molly appeared to her work colleagues, friends and on social media to be a beautiful, energetic, intelligent, happy and creative young woman.

“Molly always tried her best to help herself, through various activities to improve her low mood. She joined Abbeydale Tennis Club and absolutely loved playing there.

"Due to her membership she won tickets to Wimbledon 2016. She went with her dad Dave and had one of the best times in her life.

"One of my favourite photos of her is from that trip. She is wearing her Wimbledon hat and holding her Wimbledon glass.

The logo chosen for the appeal in Molly's name.The logo chosen for the appeal in Molly's name.
The logo chosen for the appeal in Molly's name.
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“However, her inner struggles were concealed from most people.

“Molly was such a sensitive soul that she found emotional issues difficult and could not recognise her own worth.”

The family - who come from Mosborough - have now set up a fund in memory of Molly in conjunction with local charity South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation.

The Young People’s Health and Wellbeing fund will award grant funding to community organisations and charities supporting young people’s mental health.

Molly and her family at the Dominion Theatre in London.Molly and her family at the Dominion Theatre in London.
Molly and her family at the Dominion Theatre in London.
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“As parents, we feel that due to the lack of timely access to appropriate services and support, there is a need for local and charitable services to be funded to run alongside public sector mental health services,” said Linda.

“When Molly died, she was being looked after by mental health support teams and in hindsight, if we had been allowed to be involved in her care by the teams looking after her, we may have had more idea of the extent of what she was feeling.”

The latest figures from the Mental Health Foundation show the number one cause of death in young people aged 20 to 34 in the UK is suicide.

As public sector funding reduces, many people are turning to charities for the support they are struggling to find elsewhere.

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And these charities are themselves finding it difficult to cope with the rising demand for their services.

As this trend continues, the Hurst family hopes that the fund will help these organisations so they can maintain their services and ensure that everyone who reaches out gets the best help available.

Molly wither her family.Molly wither her family.
Molly wither her family.

Linda added: “With everyone’s help we can make a difference, we can ensure the right level of intervention is there for those who are struggling like Molly was.

“If we can prevent anyone else from experiencing a loss like ours, we will have achieved our purpose.”

To donate to the Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Fund in memory of Molly, please visit www.justgiving.com/sycf or go to www.sycf.org.uk to find out more.