THREE fathers who lost young daughters to suicide have nearly crossed the finish line of their £1m fundraiser mark - thanks to the help of 33,503 supporters. 

3 Dads Walking, who have championed suicide awareness by trekking across the UK, have raised a staggering £994,449 - 99 per cent of their total target. 

The three men forged a close bond when they met through the suicide prevention charity, Papyrus, following the loss of their teenage children.

But it's not just fundraising the trio have turned their attention towards, it's also a push for the need for suicide prevention education to be brought into schools. 

Successfully, last month, Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen secured a parliamentary debate into whether suicide prevention should be implemented into the school curriculum. 

The push towards a parliamentary debate came after over 150,000 people signed a petition advocating for further prevention education in a ' safe and age-appropriate' way. 

Penrith and the Borders MP Dr Neil Hudson will attend a meeting between the 3 Dads and the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss the topic in the near future. 

"I think Andy, Tim and Mike, through their bravery, are saving lives," he said. 

 

Andy said he expects the debate to go ahead in parliament come March.

Touching upon the £1m milestone, the 3 Dads took to social media: "Thanks to everyone who have supported us since we took our first steps as 3 Dads Walking.

"Over 157,000 people have signed our petition and 33.500 have donated on our JustGiving page; as well as generating funds for PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide all these interactions have helped raise the issue of suicide prevention across the country.

"The more people who know about PAPYRUS or feel empowered to talk to their young people about suicide, the more lives will be saved," they said. 

If you'd be interested in helping the 3 Dads cross the finish line, you can donate via Just Giving. 

READ MORE: 'Great step forward' in suicide prevention being taught in schools