Grantham family and friends to walk Hadrian’s Wall in memory of Andrew Brackenbury to raise funds for Andy’s Man Club

Friends and family will walk the length of Hadrian’s Wall to raise awareness of men’s mental health struggles in memory of a devoted dad.

Darren “Paddy” Paddison, 56, and son Jimmy are taking on the challenge in memory of Andrew Brackenbury, who died suddenly on Friday, December 13 , aged 39.

The walk will set off on June 21 on what should have been Andrew’s 40th birthday and will raise funds for Andy’s Man Club, a group which promotes open conversations in a judgement-free environment and aims to prevent suicide.

A loving father, there was no indication that Andrew, who worked as a delivery driver for Iceland in Grantham, was struggling prior to his death.

Just hours earlier, he had been delivering groceries dressed as Santa and sending cheerful video messages to his five-year-old half-sister.

“He was still dressed as Santa, saying ‘make sure you’re in bed or you’ll be on my naughty list’. Then, literally two hours later, he was gone,” said Andrew’s father Paddy, who runs The Tattoo Shop on Commercial Road.

“There was no note, no inclination, no messages – just out of the blue.”

Andrew had struggled with his mental health several years ago but received help after his mum Jacqueline intervened.

However, Paddy said that for the past few years – especially since the birth of his daughter Alyiah – “he’d been brilliant”.

Andrew leaves behind his partner Claire, Alyiah, and older daughter Kadie, who has just turned 18.

“He was the most outgoing, bubbly person you could meet,” said Paddy.

“Always up for a laugh – at Halloween he dressed as Count Dracula, and at Easter he was the Easter bunny.

“There was no inclination because he was always so happy-go-lucky. I’ve got two younger children, Billy and Bonnie, and he was always round playing with them – having water gun fights or drawing. He was always looking for something to smile about.”

A post-mortem examination revealed he had been drinking at the time, which his father believes contributed. But Paddy also felt there was a possibility Andrew had hidden his mental health issues, knowing that his family might intervene.

The loss spurred Paddy and his friend Paula Hayes to organise the walk. They’ll be joined by friend Viv Durham and supported by Paddy’s other son Darryl in a van. The 85-mile journey will take them from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway.

“I used to hike years ago,” said Paddy, adding: “Paula said to me ‘you need to come for a walk’. So in January, in the snow and ice, we went for a walk with a few friends and I realised it was doing me a lot of good.”

The idea for a Hadrian’s Wall walk came from something Andrew said at the age of 14, while Paddy was working in Newcastle.

“He saw a sign for the wall and said ‘oh, it’s only 80 miles to Carlisle, Dad, we could walk that’. So I decided that for his 40th, that’s what I was going to do – walk from Carlisle to Newcastle. The full coast-to-coast thing.”

Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK and Andy’s Man Club supports men with mental health struggles.

“This isn’t just about fundraising,” said Paula.

“It’s about raising awareness. If even one person sees this and feels encouraged to open up, to talk, or to ask for help, then it means the world.”

The group has been training locally – sometimes via pub stops – and hopes the challenge raises funds and awareness for a cause close to their hearts.

Andrew’s memory lives on through his children and a baby boy due in August – news the family learned after his death.

Paddy added: “His partner was just a couple of weeks pregnant when it happened. So we’ll have another little piece of Andrew with us soon.”

Donations and more information about the walk can be found via the group’s online fundraiser.

Paddy also plans to join Andy’s Man Club in the near future, though says he has not felt ready to do so yet.

“After the walk, it'll be about six months – it might then be time for me to go and have a chat.

“I don't feel like I need it right now, but I hold a lot of support for them, because there are people like Andrew that do need to talk to people.”

*Anyone affected by the issues raised in this story can call Samaritans on 116 123 free from any phone, or visit www.samaritans.org for free, round the clock, confidential support. Always call 999 in an emergency if you are in immediate danger.