The Mirjan family founded their charity in honour of their son and brother Beder, who took his own life aged 18. Now, they’re working with Samaritans to ensure there’s always someone there.
“Beder was a giant of a young man, with a witty sense of humour and infectious laugh, who was gentle, caring, clever, hard-working and kind-natured. He was always surrounded by love and due to start university with a bright future ahead of him.
However, at the age of 18 in April 2017, he took the unexpected decision to take his own life.
We don’t want other families to go through this.
We don’t want people to suffer in silence. We want fewer people to die by suicide.
This is why we, as a family, we took the collective decision to start a charity in Beder’s name and partner with leading mental health and suicide prevention charities that share our values and commitment to tackling these key issues close to our heart, such as Samaritans."
This work is so important. Amazing things can happen when we come together. Together we can make change that saves lives.
Razzak Mirjan, Founder of Beder charity
"Samaritans is there, every hour of every day of the year, for anyone struggling to cope. They listen for free, in confidence and without judgment. They have stayed open, 24/7, throughout the coronavirus pandemic responding to 10,000 calls for help a day. Beder wants to harness Samaritans’ specialist knowledge and further their incredible work.
"For us, the right way to help was to set up our own charity. Establishing Beder has been difficult, but it’s been amazing to see how far we’ve come and the incredible amount of support we’ve had. We’ve been truly touched by how many people have been behind us, including everyone at Samaritans."
Working together we can make our voices louder, our messages stronger and reach more people who need our support so that fewer people die by suicide.
Christina Flynn, Head of Trusts, Statutory and Major Donor Fundraising
"It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to support Samaritans alongside our work. Their work is incredible, we have the same vision, and the team are extremely passionate about helping supporters like us, both individuals and organisations, make the change they want to see, change that can save lives.
"I would urge you to join us in making this change."