Jess Harding
I’m Jess, I’m 24 years old and I currently work in the film and TV industry, having studied Classics at Bristol. I first met René through rowing (I coxed) when we were both in our final year at Bristol. Having the privilege to cox the IV that René was part of without doubt was one of the happiest times I had at university, and I still look back on it with very fond memories following on from the kindness that the team showed me as a relative outsider at the start (I had previously coxed other teams and happened to end up coxing the IV as mere coincidence). I remember meeting up with René after we both graduated from Bristol and being shown around Putney whilst listening to how much he was enjoying rowing at Imperial.
René always amazed me with his calm nature, genuine kindness and interest in others; traits that a lot of us do not always find natural to maintain. This is evident in the fact that he was not only incredibly patient when my head used to jab into his back (I was sat low in the boat and right behind him when we rowed together) but also used to always pass me his jumpers so that I would never be too cold during water sessions. He was a strong leader and instilled a confidence in us all (that we often struggled to find ourselves) with effortless style, and he is missed every single day.
Whilst raising awareness about mental health is finally on the up, there is still so much more to do in order to stop suicide, the biggest killer of men under 45. I am honoured to be taking part in Race4Rene, having seen the community that his sister and others have started with #Run4Rene and I am looking forward to taking the conversation about mental health awareness a step further. The two charities that we are supporting are not only vital in providing much needed support around times of bereavement for family but also in making sure that situations like Rene’s start to end for good, and I am proud to be part of the journey that will bring attention to these two incredibly important charities.
René always amazed me with his calm nature, genuine kindness and interest in others; traits that a lot of us do not always find natural to maintain. This is evident in the fact that he was not only incredibly patient when my head used to jab into his back (I was sat low in the boat and right behind him when we rowed together) but also used to always pass me his jumpers so that I would never be too cold during water sessions. He was a strong leader and instilled a confidence in us all (that we often struggled to find ourselves) with effortless style, and he is missed every single day.
Whilst raising awareness about mental health is finally on the up, there is still so much more to do in order to stop suicide, the biggest killer of men under 45. I am honoured to be taking part in Race4Rene, having seen the community that his sister and others have started with #Run4Rene and I am looking forward to taking the conversation about mental health awareness a step further. The two charities that we are supporting are not only vital in providing much needed support around times of bereavement for family but also in making sure that situations like Rene’s start to end for good, and I am proud to be part of the journey that will bring attention to these two incredibly important charities.
Penelope Fitzgibbon
I'm 22 years old and was born in Madrid where I lived until I moved to Leeds to pursue my degree in Computer Science. I now work in London in Forensic Technology at Deloitte. I met René at my time working at BAE Systems as an intern the summer before he left us.
Hearing about what happened to René was a terrible shock to me - never did I imagine that he was going through such pain that led him to leave this world. It also struck a chord really close to my heart. Sadly my family have a long and complicated history of battling with mental health issues, particularly depression and self-harm.
I can't think of a better way to remember René than this campaign. I feel extremely honoured and motivated to make this campaign as widespread and successful as possible, to have the biggest possible impact in memory of him and help these incredible charities reach out to as many people as possible. So let's all come together to ensure the world doesn’t lose more beautiful souls like René's.
Hearing about what happened to René was a terrible shock to me - never did I imagine that he was going through such pain that led him to leave this world. It also struck a chord really close to my heart. Sadly my family have a long and complicated history of battling with mental health issues, particularly depression and self-harm.
I can't think of a better way to remember René than this campaign. I feel extremely honoured and motivated to make this campaign as widespread and successful as possible, to have the biggest possible impact in memory of him and help these incredible charities reach out to as many people as possible. So let's all come together to ensure the world doesn’t lose more beautiful souls like René's.
Luke Vlaskalic
Rene and I both joined City of London School in the same year and quickly became friends. Many of the new boys ended up becoming friends with each other as we were all in the same position, though we quickly integrated into the rest of the year, and by the end of our time there you would not have been able to tell we hadn't been there from day 1. Rene and I really bonded due to our Balkan heritage and went to Serbia and Croatia together on holidays to festivals.
Though we went to different universities, I attended Manchester to study Physics, we remained very close, I went to visit Bristol in Rene's last year there and we talked extensively about interested in science, technology and coding.
(After leaving university I have moved back home, where I live just down the road from Max & Sophia, and work for a technology company in the renewable energy space.)
Though we went to different universities, I attended Manchester to study Physics, we remained very close, I went to visit Bristol in Rene's last year there and we talked extensively about interested in science, technology and coding.
(After leaving university I have moved back home, where I live just down the road from Max & Sophia, and work for a technology company in the renewable energy space.)
Corporate Sponsors
We have sponsorship opportunities available ranging from £5,000 to £25,000. The sponsorship funds will go towards the race expenses of £65,000, any surplus funds will be donated to the two charities. Your support will make the Race4Rene event a reality and help with raising awareness of mental health and the prevention of young suicide. It will also enable the crew, through the Race4Rene event, to raise as much money as we can to support the good causes of the charities. For more information please download the Sponsorship Brochure on the link below.
We have sponsorship opportunities available ranging from £5,000 to £25,000. The sponsorship funds will go towards the race expenses of £65,000, any surplus funds will be donated to the two charities. Your support will make the Race4Rene event a reality and help with raising awareness of mental health and the prevention of young suicide. It will also enable the crew, through the Race4Rene event, to raise as much money as we can to support the good causes of the charities. For more information please download the Sponsorship Brochure on the link below.
Private Sponsors
Your donation will go towards the Race4Rene race expenses of £65,000, any surplus funds will be donated to our chosen charities: PAPYRUS and Child Bereavement UK. The crew of 10 has given up their free time to prepare and take part in this epic Trans-Atlantic yacht race. They will take time off from work and studies to support this great cause, 4 weeks during the race in November and additional time to support the various Crew Talks and Race4Rene fundraising events. Please be generous and help us to secure the funds to make Race4Rene a reality.
Your donation will go towards the Race4Rene race expenses of £65,000, any surplus funds will be donated to our chosen charities: PAPYRUS and Child Bereavement UK. The crew of 10 has given up their free time to prepare and take part in this epic Trans-Atlantic yacht race. They will take time off from work and studies to support this great cause, 4 weeks during the race in November and additional time to support the various Crew Talks and Race4Rene fundraising events. Please be generous and help us to secure the funds to make Race4Rene a reality.
Friends and Family
Become part of the Race4Rene campaign and help us fund the expenses of the Trans-Atlantic Race. In return you can share the journey of each of the crew members as they prepare and take part in the 3 week ocean crossing race. Be part of the virtual crew and receive regular updates and behind the scene snippets. You will receive a Race4Rene t-shirt and some charity brochures to help with raising awareness of mental health and the prevention of young suicide. Share the stories of the crew with your friends. Your messages of support will be displayed on the website and relayed to the crew even when they are in the middle of the Atlantic!
Become part of the Race4Rene campaign and help us fund the expenses of the Trans-Atlantic Race. In return you can share the journey of each of the crew members as they prepare and take part in the 3 week ocean crossing race. Be part of the virtual crew and receive regular updates and behind the scene snippets. You will receive a Race4Rene t-shirt and some charity brochures to help with raising awareness of mental health and the prevention of young suicide. Share the stories of the crew with your friends. Your messages of support will be displayed on the website and relayed to the crew even when they are in the middle of the Atlantic!
Become a Fundraiser
Set yourself a fund raising challenge and help us to raise funds for our charities, Child Bereavement UK and PAPYRUS. You can register your event on Virgin Money Giving and link your page to the Race4Rene page. Race4Rene together with the charities can offer you and your team some fundraising support. We can also support with social media and help you reach your fundraising target.
Set yourself a fund raising challenge and help us to raise funds for our charities, Child Bereavement UK and PAPYRUS. You can register your event on Virgin Money Giving and link your page to the Race4Rene page. Race4Rene together with the charities can offer you and your team some fundraising support. We can also support with social media and help you reach your fundraising target.
Donate
Your donation towards Race4Rene will go directly to the two charities. It will help the charities to continue the incredible work they do to rebuild lives following bereavement and prevent young suicide. The DONATE button will redirect you to the Virgin Money Giving website where you can make an online donation. Please contact us should you wish to make an offline donation. Our aim is to raise £150,000.
Your donation towards Race4Rene will go directly to the two charities. It will help the charities to continue the incredible work they do to rebuild lives following bereavement and prevent young suicide. The DONATE button will redirect you to the Virgin Money Giving website where you can make an online donation. Please contact us should you wish to make an offline donation. Our aim is to raise £150,000.
Tyron Williams Employee Engagement Partner at BNP Paribas Real Estate
4d · Edited
Part of my job is to raise awareness for Mental Health. The severity of this really hits home when someone you know who has directly been affected by a loss. A colleague of mine sent me a very passionate email today, talking about her son Harry’s close friend Rene, who took his own life. Harry, Rene's father and friends from University have been committed to raising money for mental health, particularly for suicide in young men. They have raised several thousands of pounds to date through University rowing races, runs arranged by Rene's sister but this event is the biggest. The team will take part in a Trans-Atlantic yacht race starting on 24th November and finishing on 8th - 14th December. http://www.race4rene.com/ #mentalhealth #support #mentalhealthawarenessweek They are taking on this challenge to raise awareness about mental health and prevention of young suicide. We want to raise as much money as we can for Child Bereavement UK and Papyrus.
https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:share:6536611131266486272
4d · Edited
Part of my job is to raise awareness for Mental Health. The severity of this really hits home when someone you know who has directly been affected by a loss. A colleague of mine sent me a very passionate email today, talking about her son Harry’s close friend Rene, who took his own life. Harry, Rene's father and friends from University have been committed to raising money for mental health, particularly for suicide in young men. They have raised several thousands of pounds to date through University rowing races, runs arranged by Rene's sister but this event is the biggest. The team will take part in a Trans-Atlantic yacht race starting on 24th November and finishing on 8th - 14th December. http://www.race4rene.com/ #mentalhealth #support #mentalhealthawarenessweek They are taking on this challenge to raise awareness about mental health and prevention of young suicide. We want to raise as much money as we can for Child Bereavement UK and Papyrus.
https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:share:6536611131266486272
