THE mother of a much-loved man who took his own life in 2020 has thrown her life into supporting people with mental health issues - and in January she’ll be offering free counselling sessions for anyone who needs help.
Mathew James Fullerton died aged just 38 in October 2020 after a lengthy struggle with his mental health.
His mum, Sue Nortcliff, described Mathew as a funny, clever man who had many friends, shown with hundreds of people lining the streets of Middlecliffe at his funeral.
Following Mathew’s death, Sue subsequently set up MAT Charity to give residents a safe place to speak with others - and she’s put her whole life into helping others.
Her charity shop, on Station Road in Wombwell, helps people struggling with their mental health and she says it can really be a lifeline for people.
She’s already supported numerous people since opening up the charity - but her next step of offering free counselling sessions to those in need will help even more.
She told the Chronicle: “From January 5 we’re going to have mental health counsellors in from Monday to Saturday.
“”It’s going to be a walk-in service but you are able to go into the shop and make an appointment if you know you’re going to be free on a certain day.
“All the counsellors are going to be from Barnsley College so this in conjunction with them.
“I’m just so excited for it because Barnsley needs this.”
The sessions will take place at different times each day to ensure everyone has a chance to attend.
Sue says that she feels like she’s one step closer to achieving her overall goal - and added that just speaking to someone about your struggles can really save your life.
She added: “It’s really important.
“We’ll still have our normal chats as we do on a Tuesday but these sessions will be one-to-one.
“I’ve always said that it’s a long ladder that I’m on to get to where I want to be.
“But with this I feel like we’ve jumped a couple of rungs in one go.
“It’s a long process but I do know that we’re doing some good.
“Speaking about your issues really can save lives.”
And even though she’s taking a huge step forward with her latest mission, she’s showing no signs of slowing down.
She said: “From April we’re actually going to be running our own counselling courses.
“So that’s something else to look forward to.
“We’ve also launched a page if people want to donate money but we’re hoping to get some food items that we’re able to give to people who are really struggling.
“We also want bags of toiletries and things like that.
“We’ve got lots in the pipeline for next year.
“I’m quite giddy about it because I feel like next year we’re going to get a lot of things that will help people up and running.”
