A Barton dad whose son died by suicide in 2021 has launched an inspirational new venture to educate businesses and organisations about suicide and mental health.
After veteran George Ellis died in April 2021 aged just 24, his devoted dad Adrian has dedicated his life to raising awareness of suicide prevention and encouraging those who are struggling with their mental health to speak out and seek support.
After his powerful and moving presentations to 14 to 16-year-olds at Baysgarth School in Barton last January attracted “incredible” feedback and encouraged many pupils to open up about their mental health, Adrian decided to take his talks further and “turn trauma into triumph”.
Adrian has since delivered talks as a guest speaker to 2,000 pupils at six academies, as well as organisations including Humberside Fire and Rescue and Co-op, prompting workplaces to talk more openly about mental health.
He has now launched his new venture, ACE Lived Experience UK, and aims to deliver more talks to as many schools, businesses and organisations as possible, with the ultimate goal of preventing suicide.
George tragically died by suicide in 2021
(Image: Adrian Ellis)
Adrian said: “I’ve got such an incredibly powerful story to tell and it’s about getting that message across. Last January I delivered three talks to pupils aged between 14 and 16 at Baysgarth School in Barton, and the feedback was just incredible. I decided this was my vocation, and between June and October, I went into six academies and delivered the same presentation to over 2,000 students, all free of charge.
“In those presentations I probably had ten or 11 students come to me afterwards to talk to me. In talks with the safeguarding teams at the schools present, we sat down and talked, and I listened to their stories.
“My part is just to present my story and by doing that, people open up. It’s like that ripple effect, and for me it’s so incredibly powerful, and I’m humbled that these pupils have been able to come to me – a total stranger – it’s incredible.”
Adrian’s incredibly moving, hour-long presentation features videos of George, who has been described as a “fun-loving and family oriented” young man, and videos of his funeral, which hundreds of people attended to pay their respects.
George served in the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment
(Image: Adrian Ellis)
He continued: “I also go through what happened the day he died. It’s hard hitting, but it has to be. But then I talk about what I’ve done since losing George and how many lives I might have saved. You do have bad things happen in life – relationships issues, money worries, and more – but you have to talk.
“Life is cruel at times but by opening up and talking, you do see that there’s so much to look forward to in life. George couldn’t see a way out and he paid the ultimate price, and that’s the story I portray.
“George’s death was tragic and it should never have happened – but I needed to make sure his life wasn’t a waste. He’s with me all the time and he is 100 percent behind me and urging me to do this. I get emotional, I stand up there and I see George on the big screen, and I feel so proud.”
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With suicide being the biggest killer in under 35s and 5,656 suicides registered in England in 2023, Adrian’s main goal is to play a crucial role in reducing that number.
“I refer school pupils to PAPYRUS and talk about other issues with businesses such as workplace bullying, and refer them to other means they can get help,” Adrian said.
“People come to work and do their job, and when people go, ‘Everything alright?’ we all go ‘yeah’, but if one person says, ‘actually, no’, what do we do? It’s giving people education and understanding that there is help out there, and the bravest thing to do is to reach out and admit you need help.
“It’s about turning trauma into triumph.”
To learn more about Adrian’s new venture, you can visit the Ace Lived Experience website here. If you are a business, organisation or school and want to work with Adrian or have him deliver a talk, you can contact him by calling 07714419775 or by emailing adrian@ace-lived.co.uk.