Runners in Ware raise thousands in memory of Catherine Stevens

A 10km (six-mile} race in memory of a woman who took her own life has raised more than £4,100 for a suicide prevention charity.

About 220 people took part in Cate’s Run on Saturday, raising funds for Papyrus in memory of Catherine Stevens, who died on 30 December 2024.

The event took place at The Chauncy School in Ware, Hertfordshire, on what would have been her 32nd birthday.

Her husband Joseph Dewey said: “Unfortunately it’s not an event that I ever wanted to have up and running, but here we are, and we’re doing it for the right reasons.”

He organised the event alongside Ms Stevens’ family and hopes in the future it can become an annual event or grow into a marathon.

“I just wish she was here,” he added.

“I don’t like the words ‘happy birthday’. But happy birthday, Kate.”

The couple met online during lockdown in 2020 and in May 2024 had a film-themed wedding.

Mr Dewey recalled how, in December, he received a phone call from his mother-in-law who told him “Cate’s gone.”

“I was like ‘oh, where’s she gone?’ and she was like, ‘No, honey. She’s gone.’ My world just came crashing down,” he said.

On what would have been their first wedding anniversary in May he organised a cabaret night in her memory.

His wife, who suffered with anxiety and depression, had been on an NHS waiting list for therapy before she died.

Mr Dewey credited therapy and his loved ones for helping him deal with his ongoing grief.

He encouraged others to speak openly with their loved ones about their own struggles.

“We need to open up more,” he said.

“Yes, there’s a difference between mental health and mental illness, and we can’t solve everything, but if I can [get] people speaking a bit more, we may save some other Cates.”

If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK are available at BBC Action Line.