The delivery driver’s heart sank when he saw a police car outside his friend’s house

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A group of men gathered at the Runcorn Café to sit down and talk about mental health.

Curtis’s Coffee Club is named after Keelan’s friend Kurt, a “brilliant” young man with a “heart of gold” who unfortunately committed suicide.

His death on March 7, 2018, devastated delivery driver Keelan, sending him into a downward spiral that landed him in rehab in October.

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“It was probably one of the worst days of my life,” Keelan, of Runcorn, told ECHO. “I got sucked into a whirlpool afterwards, trying to cope just by drinking myself into oblivion.”

A friend called him that day and told him to go to Kurt’s house.

Kurt’s friend called him when he arrived to see a police car outside. I told him that his friend had died.

Kellan said, “It’s been like a blur since then. I was devastated, completely devastated. I can’t describe the feeling.”

For several months he was drowning in a drink.

His friend Paul, co-founder of Curt’s Coffee Club, saw fragments of a downward spiral when he visited his home during his four-year stint in the military.

Together with the Keelan family, he persuaded Keelan to get help and go to a rehabilitation center, where he stayed for three weeks.

“It was a long drive to Luton,” Keelan, 24, told ECHO.

“My grandfather and my mom put me down, and I remember I was just trying to keep them together. I was just trying to be really brave.

“There were a few people that looked a little worse in terms of wear, and I’d look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘Look, this is where you are, and try to make the most of it.'”

Paul and Kelan’s family helped him recover from addiction, and now Keelan wants to help others by sharing his experience (Photo: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

He added, “It’s hard, especially since your mother and grandfather, who are two important people in your life, take you.

“You feel like you let them down. All the guilt, remorse, and shame come after a while, but it’s a chance to help yourself.

“Being there and seeing different levels of what a drink and a drug can do, it’s amazing, and it’s a huge wake-up call.

“I first got to know what a meeting is going through by going somewhere where you can talk, where anonymity is important.

“Everything you hear in meetings, whatever you say, is private, so you feel comfortable.

Kellan and Paul were surprised by the turnout at Curtis’s Coffee Club’s first meeting, which will take place for an hour every two weeks at the CHI Community Café in Runcorn (Photo: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

“And there are people just like you. Sometimes worse, sometimes not that bad.

“You all can relate, you all have a common problem, and you all want to get better.

“It’s better to know you’re not alone in a situation, which is why a coffee club is such a great tool for people to come together.

“No one really has to speak, but they can just sit there and listen to the stories.

“I’ll be sharing next time, so I’m going to tell people about my experience, and hopefully people will understand better. Maybe people get something from my story and the transformation I’ve made.”

Helplines and support groups

Here are helplines and support networks people can talk to, mostly listed on the NHS Choices website

Samaritans (116123) provides 24 hour service every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you feel, or if you are concerned about being heard on the phone, you can email the Samaritans at [email protected]. Quiet Against Miserable Life (0800 58 58 58) is a pioneering movement against suicide. A UK helpline and web chat run from 5pm to midnight 365 days a year for anyone who has hit a wall for any reason, and needs to talk or find information and support. PANDAS (0808 1961776) operates a toll-free helpline and provides a support service for people who may have perinatal mental illness, including prenatal (prenatal) and postpartum depression as well as support for their family or network. Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number will not appear on your phone bill. PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is an organization that supports suicidal teens and young adults. Mind (0300 123 3393) is a charity that provides advice and support to empower anyone with a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. Students Against Depression is a website for students with depression, low mood, or suicidal thoughts. Bullying UK A site for both children and adults affected by bullying.

Amparo provides emotional and practical support to anyone who has been affected by suicide. This includes dealing with police and forensic staff; assistance with media inquiries; Prepare for and attend the investigation and assist in accessing other appropriate local support services. Call 0330889255 or visit www.amparo.org.uk for more details.

Hub of Hope is the UK’s most comprehensive national mental health support database. Download the free app, visit hubofhope.co.uk or text 85258 to find related services near you. Youth Counseling Service – Providing mental health and emotional well-being services to Liverpool’s children, youth and families. Tel: 0151707 1025 Email: [email protected] Paul’s Place Free counseling and group sessions for anyone living in Merseyside who has lost a loved one or friend to suicide. Tel: 0151226 0696 or email: [email protected]

The Martin Gallier Project – Providing face-to-face support to individuals contemplating suicide and their families. Business hours are 9.30-16.30, 7 days a week. Tel: 015164 0294 Email: [email protected]

Keelan’s 18 months are now sober, after some ups and downs along the way.

He had heard of other young men who committed suicide at Runcorn, as he said that alcohol and drugs are part of life.

Men accounted for three-quarters of suicides in 2020, with 15.4 men killed for every 100,000 people in the country.

In 2019, Halton’s male suicide rate reached its highest level in two decades.

Keelan and Paul hope Curtis Coffee will address this through their men’s mental health support, and they are both taking a mental health first aid course so they are better equipped to help.

CHI Community Café on Castlefields Avenue East, Runcorn WA7 2NY (Photo: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

The couple exploded with interest in the coffee club, as 26 people turned out for their first meeting on Saturday, January 22.

“We’re really happy, and we’re kind of shocked how quickly it happened,” Keelan said.

“We know we’re doing something well and we’ve been positive about it, but we didn’t expect it to be this good so soon.”

The group will meet every two weeks at CHI Community Café on Castlefields Avenue East, Runcorn WA7 2NY

Everyone who attends the one-hour session gets free tea and coffee, and Kellan and Paul go home knowing that they are doing well in society.

“There is no better feeling than helping others,” Keelan told ECHO.

“Just to be able to help one person, just to be able to let another person know they’re not alone with the situation, it’s empowerment.

“It’s better than any drink can do for you.”

He urged people to open up to others about their problems, saying, “Talk to people. Do your best to connect with them, despite your discomfort.”

“If you ask for help, you are a brave person, and that is the best thing to do. It takes a brave person to ask for help.

“Once you do that, it gets easier. You can’t do things on your own, so the more you talk to people, the more they benefit you.”

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