A GROUP of six are set to walk 45 miles to remember their friend who would have turned 45 this year.

Love You Bye is a team of six, trekking 45 miles in aid of Cumbria-based charity Every Life Matters, which aims to reduce deaths by suicide in Cumbria.

On Saturday July 13, they will walk non-stop from Whitehaven Harbour to Cumbria Police Federation HQ in Penrith to remember former police officer James Thistlethwaite on what would have been his 45th birthday.

James was a serving Cumbria Police officer when he sadly succumbed to PTSD and took his own life. He left behind his wife and two young children.

On a JustGiving Page, the group of six write: "Brave doesn't come close to how incredible James was and it's our mission to spread awareness of Mental Health and the impact Suicide has on everyone.

"We all hear 'It's OK to not be OK', whilst this is true, over 70 per cent of suicides are male, there is more to this. We must normalise conversations around mental health and not hide behind the male bravado.

"Every Life Matters have been a solid foundation to a shattered home, without their work, situations like this would exceed the figures they currently reflect.

"We cannot thank them enough for the support they have provided.

"We are not seeking to proportion blame, we are simply raising the profile of Every Life Matters and taking the fight back to mental health."

The team have been training regularly in recent months ahead of next month's big event, walking hundreds of miles and hundreds of thousands of steps.

The group were aiming to raise just £1,000 but have already brought in over £5,000 in their aim to help Every Life Matters make a Suicide Safer Cumbria and to support those left behind.

The group plan to land in Keswick on July 13 between 12 and 1pm, where they will meet people in Fitz Park and then anyone can walk the Threlkeld line with them, to symbolise that nobody has to suffer in silence.

You can donate online here.