In honour of his daughter, who took her own life, Northumbria Sergeant David Millican will be running 35 Parkruns in his 35th year of policing.
55-year-old David is taking on his ‘Challenge 35’ to raise money for the charity Mind, in memory of his daughter Emz, who died last October (2024).
She was 21 and struggled with her mental health.
Seven months later, David is sharing his story to help mark this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (Monday 12-Sunday 18 May) while raising money for charity.
“I’m not a natural runner – in fact, I’m a dog walker. I originally started Parkruns before lockdown, having been spurred on by my wife,” says David.
Wellbeing
“And I soon became hooked. I love that you can get up on a Saturday and you have run 5km by 10am. You don’t have to think about it, you simply just turn up.
“It’s a real feel-good feeling. I get a buzz from doing them and feel so much better afterwards.”
Having joined the Force 35 years ago, David admits the terms ‘wellbeing’ and ‘mental health’ were not necessarily discussed during his earlier career.
However, during his time in policing, he admits he has faced numerous challenges – but found that getting outside, and keeping active has helped him maintain his own mental health.
“Times have changed since I joined the police,” he explains.
“Although we didn’t talk about mental health as much, there was a natural support network around you – you would head to the canteen and offload to colleagues, for example.
“Now, I choose to get out and exercise – for my own welfare. My dog has become my therapist.
“For me, exercise is the best medicine, and taking part in Parkruns has become part of my wellbeing routine.”
Parkruns are all-inclusive 5km events that take place across the UK every Saturday morning.
“You can walk, run, or volunteer at the Parkruns,” David continued.
“And the beauty is, everyone is there for a different reason.”
Social media
For David, his reason is Emz.
He said: “I would hate to be a young person growing up now. It’s so challenging, especially in a world of social media. Life can be very cruel – and children, young people can be very cruel, without even knowing it.”
For Emz, life became increasingly difficult, says David.
“How do you help someone who is sinking?” he adds.
“As a parent, I felt helpless. We watched Emz slowly decline and it felt like there was nothing we could do to prevent it.
“Having lost Emz, I know that the work Mind is doing, is more important than ever.”
As well as losing Emz, David says he has seen colleagues who are struggling with their mental health too, some of who have also sadly taken their own life.
“I’ve seen friends and colleagues suffer, who I had no idea were suffering,” says David, who is urging anyone who is struggling with their mental health to get outside and get active.
“I know it’s not the answer for everyone, but I honestly believe exercise is a great form of therapy,” he says.
“It’s a distraction and it gives you something else to focus on, outside of the everyday routine.”
David is inviting anyone who wants to join him at one of the Parkruns to do so – even if it’s to stop by for some cake and a coffee, rather than participate.
David’s ‘Challenge 35’ kicked off in December last year, and will involve him running 35 different Parkruns – has already reached the halfway point, having completed 17.
Parkrun
The last one will be on 29 November in Silksworth, the same area where he began his career as a 21-year-old 35 years ago.
Chair of Northumbria Police Federation Nick Munnelly, who ran alongside David at the Parkrun in Ashington, said: “David’s incredible fundraising efforts in honour of his daughter are a powerful tribute to her memory.
“Everybody has mental health, and we should talk about it just the same as our physical health. It’s only by people like David sharing their experiences that we will help to raise awareness of mental health, and hopefully prevent others from taking their lives.
“What David is doing is truly inspiring, and I look forward to joining him at his final run in November.”
Donate to David by visiting his JustGiving Page.
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