Suicide Prevention Charity Papyrus UK Enters Administration Amid Funding Crisis
Suicide prevention charity Papyrus UK has entered administration after almost 30 years of supporting young people across the UK.
The charity confirmed it had appointed joint administrators following an extended and extremely difficult period during which efforts were made to secure its future. It said rising demand, increased operating costs and a reduction in reliable funding across the charitable sector had created an environment in which it could no longer continue operating.
Papyrus said its work over almost three decades had focused on preventing young suicide through campaigning, education, training and direct services. The charity said it was proud of the contribution made by its staff, volunteers, trustees, supporters and fundraisers, while administrators will now manage its affairs through the administration process.
The administrators’ immediate focus is expected to be on managing the charity’s affairs and supporting an orderly closure. However, there remains the possibility that some of its services could continue in another form, with the appointed administrators examining whether vital services can be transferred to other organisations.
The development has particular significance in Cumbria because of the work carried out by 3 Dads Walking, which includes local campaigner Andy Airey. Alongside Mike Palmer and Tim Owen, Airey has raised more than £1.5 million for Papyrus since 2021 through a series of major fundraising walks across the UK.
All three members of 3 Dads Walking have personal experience of losing a daughter to suicide. Airey lost his daughter Sophie, Palmer lost Beth and Owen lost Emily, and the three men came together in the aftermath of those losses to raise awareness and support suicide prevention work.
In a statement, 3 Dads Walking described the administration as devastating and said Papyrus had become a major part of their journey since they first came together. They said they had walked thousands of miles, spoken to countless people and raised more than £1.5 million because of their belief in the charity’s work to prevent young suicide.
The group also highlighted the loss of HOPELINE247, which provided specialist crisis support for young people experiencing suicidal thoughts and for people concerned about a young person. They said the service had been staffed by suicide prevention experts and had provided specialist support during moments of extreme crisis.
3 Dads Walking said NHS and child and adolescent mental health services had signposted young people and families towards HOPELINE247 and relied on the specialist expertise provided by Papyrus. They argued that the service had not received the sustained government funding needed to secure its future and had instead depended significantly on charitable donations and fundraising.
The group warned that the closure of specialist services could place additional pressure on organisations already dealing with significant demands. They pointed to the wider financial difficulties facing charities, including rising costs, increasing demand and a challenging fundraising environment, while questioning how essential suicide prevention services should be funded.
The three campaigners also called for greater recognition of suicide prevention as a public health responsibility. Their statement argued that specialist services should not disappear because organisations cannot secure the funding required to maintain them, describing the situation as a wake-up call for decision makers.
Their comments came shortly before World Suicide Prevention Day, adding further significance to the timing of the announcement. The group said its thoughts were with Papyrus staff and volunteers, many of whom had dedicated years to supporting young people in crisis, as well as the young people and families who had relied on the charity.
The campaigners also thanked the schools, businesses, community groups, organisations and individual supporters who had backed Papyrus and 3 Dads Walking over the years. They said fundraising had been driven by a determination to prevent other families from experiencing the devastation caused by suicide.
Opus Restructuring & Insolvency has been appointed as joint administrators and is now examining whether any of Papyrus’ vital services can be transferred to other organisations. The process is expected to determine what happens to the charity’s remaining activities and whether parts of its specialist work can continue elsewhere.
The administration represents a major change for an organisation that has spent decades working specifically to prevent suicide among young people. For campaigners including 3 Dads Walking, the immediate focus is now on the impact of the closure, the future of specialist support and how services relied upon by young people and families can be maintained.
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