Story of brother's suicide shared by Swindon woman in bid to raise awareness

Vicky Bellinger, 44, lost her "irreplaceable" brother Lee four years ago and describes how his death appeared to come completely out of the blue.

Now she wants to bring a free peer-to-peer support group to Swindon which will give men the chance to open up and talk about their experiences.

"We have no answers about why my brother did what he did and we never will," she said.

"If you knew my brother, he seemed like the least likely person to do this.

"He went to work like any normal day. There were no signs anything was wrong.

"He didn't come home which wasn't like him and then he was found the next day.

Vicky's brother Lee Scott (Image: Vicky Bellinger)

"He'd only just booked a holiday to go with his two kids and wife to Center Parcs so there was nothing to suggest he was planning anything.

"There were 250 people at his funeral. He could have talked to any of them.

"We can't replace him. He was loved and liked by everyone. It's just a waste of a life.

"I want to raise awareness for men specifically because they do struggle and some don't talk like women do. They bottle it up until they explode."

Lee was just 38 when he died in Bishop's Stortford.

Andy's Man Club is a men's suicide prevention charity which aims to help men "through the power of conversation". 

Vicky Bellinger wearing the Andy Man's Club shirt (Image: Vicky Bellinger)

The charity offers free support sessions across the UK every Monday for an hour.

There is not currently such a support group in Swindon - and Vicky plans to change this.

Suicide is the largest cause of death for men under the age of 50. On average, every two hours a man takes his life.

Vicky is looking for a venue to host the sessions and, to raise money for the project, she's hosting a clothes swap event on October 8 at The StoweAway in Wichelstowe.

And on December 10, she plans to hold a Christmas craft fair in the same location complete with a Santa's grotto.

Describing Lee, Vicky said: "He would walk into a room and he would be like a light shining in the room."

Lee played the guitar in a band and was an actor for many years. He taught children's rugby and music and ran his own business which he later sold.

"He's missing all the big moments. His daughter has just done really well in her GCSEs and his son is doing well with his boxing and rugby," Vicky added.

"I just don't want more families in Swindon to go through what I'm going through."

For confidential crisis support, you can contact the Samaritans 24/7 on 116 123 from any phone.