An 18 year old from Sunderland noticed an increase in her communities awareness of mental health and wanted to do her part to help. She began thinking of what she could do and how she could make an impact and came up with a lasting one. Paige Hunter climbed to the top of the Wearmouth Bridge and began hanging inspirational signs all along the railing. Her hope was that one of them would find its way to someone who may be a little down or lost. She wanted them to know there was hope, and they were not alone. One of the notes read, “Even though things are difficult, your life matters; you're a shining light in a dark world, so just hold on”. Paige went on to hang over 40 unique and inspiring notes all along the bridge. These notes have been enough to at least save the lives of 8 people, and will continue to make an impact on those who need it most.
The Northumbria police captain was extremely impressed by the maturity and understanding of the magnitude of the situation that Paige showed. She wanted to award her for her creative efforts and honored her with a commendation certification from the service. It is amazing to see such innovative ideas coming from young people with so much opportunity to continue doing good for others.