Mum of Barnsley teen who took own life starts podcast to "give those who are grieving a place to go"
“Everyone deserves a safe place to grieve and to be heard”
The mother of a teenager who took their own life after relentless bullying has started a podcast to support other people who are grieving.
Courtney Lee started the ‘A Story of Grief’ podcast earlier this year after an inquest into the death of her 14-year-old daughter Ollie Lee was held.
Ollie tragically died on October 6, 2024, with mum Courtney spending the past two years fighting for better mental health support for youngsters and tougher responses to bullying.
This podcast is her latest effort to help other people struggling with grief, detailing her own journey while talking to others who have also suffered loss.
Courtney said: “It all came about after I was relentlessly trolled and bullied about the death of my daughter.
“All I want to do is giving those who are grieving a place to go to listen, or they can even write in to me to share their stories of grief and can also do this anonymously.
“Everyone deserves a safe place to grieve and to be heard. I don’t want grieving people to be alone.”
Coroner Hannah Berry concluded that Ollie, from Barnsley, took her own life after suffering years of bullying and issued a prevention of future deaths report with recommendations to Barnsley Council, Barnsley Academy, and South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust.
She called on the services to improve communication with one another to ensure that opportunities to support children like Ollie aren’t missed.
Meanwhile, Courtney has launched a petition calling on the creation of ‘Ollie’s Law’ which would see schools and councils treat bullying as a safeguarding issue, working with parents to come up with immediate support for children who have become the victim of bullies.
Courtney added: “The podcast is going well - it’s been helpful for me.
“It’s unfiltered and raw and that’s the way grief is.
“Season 2 is out in November and is not just about grief but the challenges I’ve faced with trying to pass Ollie’s law.”
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