A MUM of two has vowed to turn a pub crawl into a pub run to raise funds for a centre supporting young people with suicidal thoughts.

Dedicated runner Nina Lawrence, whose childhood friend Lucinda and nephew Chae, took their own lives, will visit numerous pubs on Saturday, September 1 in the latest Gobaith (Barri) event.

She aims to raise much-needed cash for the suicide support centre with the run starting at The Billy, in Cadoxton, at 6pm before visiting the Witchell, the Tynewyyd Inn, the West End Club, Finnegans, Academy, Spoons, The Baruc – before finishing for a night of fun and friendship in The Buck, Holton Road.

Mrs Lawrence, 46, a support worker, said: “I am doing this pub run in memory of Chae and Lucinda plus all those who have lost their lives to mental health.

“Also for all those who are struggling now and who desperately need a place to go.

“Please join us, to cheer me along the route, to throw some coins in the bucket when I visit, and/or for a beer and a band in The Buck afterwards.”

The Barry resident, who is married to Rob and has two children Anna and Elinor, is keen to continually raise money to help those affected by mental health.

She will follow the pub run with the Cardiff Half Marathon in October.

All proceeds will go to Gobaith (Cymru).

Gobaith (Barri) was set up by her sister Rachel Degaetano following the death of her son Chae and then seven young man to suicide in Barry since April 2015.

They need to raise £85,000 to start the suicide support centre.

She has already teamed up with the well-established Jacob Abraham Foundation (JAF) which has a support centre in Cardiff.

Ms Degaetano hopes to replicate JAF’s work to help prevent suicide through direct intervention with vulnerable people; raise awareness on mental health and/or suicide issues; promote positive mental health, and support people bereaved through suicide, in Barry and the Vale.

She said: “We intend to fill in numerous grant applications, set up events, hold coffee mornings and pub quizzes, run marathons, climb mountains and jump out of planes.

“We ask you to sponsor and donate throughout the year.

“Mostly we ask for your support.

“We were too late for our children.

“We intend to do all that we can to help save lives and ensure another family doesn’t have to endure the devastation that losing a loved one to suicide causes.”

“#itsoknottook is all about having the courage to stand up and say ‘enough is enough, the strength to keep fighting for our vital suicide support centre, the confidence to celebrate the successes all along the way, and that faith that our community will make a difference for the young people in our town,” she added.

To donate, visit the Gobaith (Barri) Facebook page.