Smile4Helena: A Campaign for Change in Education.


Local organisation and local MP are campaigning for a simple, yet vital change to national education policy. (Content warning: suicide & mental health)

By Tom Drysdale

Burton Radio & Echo sat down with Glen Markey from the Smile4Helena campaign and Jacob Collier, MP for Burton and Uttoxeter, to discuss their petition to change education guidance and help protect young people. The conversation, which took place at the Brewhouse, focused on a cause of not only national significance but one that is also profoundly close to their hearts.

"I was Helena’s father. Unfortunately, she took her own life aged just 17," Glen explained. "Helena took her own life shortly after being distressed whilst receiving feedback on her exam results and options going forward."

Helena was a bright individual with, as Jacob describes, "an infectious smile that could light up a room." Jacob knew Helena as they were at school together. "My peers and I—we remember what happened. And I don’t think it’s something that you ever forget."

Back in 2015/2016, following the tragic event, audits and reviews were carried out and a suite of best practice guidelines were issued by the Local Education Authority, which were made available for use by all schools across Staffordshire. However, almost three years passed before the coroner’s original recommendations were fully adopted for use in the local school’s safeguarding policy, which in Glen’s view, was “far too long.” Now, Glen is campaigning for national change to government policy to prevent what happened to Helena from happening to others.

Asked why now, Glen explained that “it looks like there’s a real mental health crisis in schools today. The stats are staggering.” He went on to point out that in a recent survey by Young Minds that 63% of 15 to 18-year-olds said that they struggled to cope in the lead up to and during GCSE and A Level exams, and 13% of those had suicidal thoughts. He stressed, “You always need ways of relieving pressure. Not everybody has the resilience to cope with it.”

If we’re serious about suicide prevention in schools, this simple measure should be front and centre.
— Glen Markey, Smile4Helena

The guidance the campaign wants to introduce would mandate that schools notify parents or guardians if a pupil shows signs of distress after receiving feedback on their academic performance. Glen commented, “This is something that should be used at all times, not just on exam results collection days. Helena’s tragic loss happened on the day of an interview that that took place four weeks after she had received her results, and parents were asked not to attend”. They believe this “would align with Government plans to support young people's mental health and reduce the risk of future suicide.” In Glen’s words, “We’re not asking for something big—just that if a student is visibly upset, the school lets a parent/carer or other trusted contact know.”

Jacob agrees with this viewpoint, saying, "It’s such a simple change that could have such a huge positive impact." From his experience, he claims, "No one has said this is a bad idea. Everyone thinks it’s a good idea—now we just need signatures." This aligns with Labour’s commitments to have a mental health professional in every school, to help any pupil, by the end of this Parliament. £49 million pounds is being committed to achieve this in 60% of schools by March 2026. Jacob has also committed to organising a meeting with the Schools Minister to discuss the petition and the need for these suggested changes to be made.

To help raise awareness for the petition and raise money for Papyrus, Smile4Helena is holding a 24-hour run at Shobnall Leisure Complex from August 29th to August 30th. The aim is to run 96 kilometres (4 km every hour), encourage healthy conversations around mental health, and raise awareness for the campaign. Glen states, “The team are running through the night to help Papyrus keep their suicide prevention helpline running through the night.”

“Anyone can join in—walk a lap, run a few rounds, support in any way. Just come down.” Glen also wanted to highlight the work of Kelly, a friend of Helena and a dedicated campaign member who came up with the idea for the 24-hour run and has raised thousands over the years for charity, in Helena’s memory.

This is just one part of their campaign. Glen said there are plenty of ways to support the initiative: “If you’re a parent concerned about your children, or a teacher seeking support and reassurance for the future—then please sign the petition. Share it. Start the conversation. If you care about mental health, suicide prevention, or education—we need your support.”

We at Burton Radio & Echo want to thank Glen, Jacob, and Jacob's team for making us aware of this campaign and for sharing this story. We are fully behind this initiative and are looking forward to helping support it in any way we can. If you would like to find out more, you can visit the Smile4Helena Facebook page and sign the petition. You can also listen to their interview on the Business Hour with Richard Brooks here.


Have a positive community story to share? Email Tom Drysdale at tom.drysdale@burtonecho.co.uk, and we’ll do our best to bring it to life!

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