A GROUP of friends will complete two endurance challenges in honour of their pal who died suddenly last December.

Since January, close friends of Luke Meredith, who is believed to have died by suicide at the age of 25, have been raising money and awareness for mental health charity Mind.

Their next venture, on August 15, will see nine of Luke’s friends undertake either a marathon or a 100-mile bike ride.

Tom Ellis, who worked with Luke at O2 in Rainford, said: “He had a heart of gold and was the most caring and considerate son, brother, grandson, uncle, cousin, nephew and best friend that anyone could ever dream of.

“This fundraiser aims to rise as much money and awareness for Mind charity, which has been fantastic in supporting Luke’s family and friends in what has been such a difficult time.

“It’s also to raise as much awareness as possible, so that anyone out there who is going through a tough time, knows that they are not alone and that there is support there for them.”

Tom added: “The more support we receive, the better. Whether that is through sponsorship, donations or cheering us on as we go, we would welcome all of these.”

The group has raised almost £6,000 towards their goal of £10,000 by the end of the year.

Tom added: “We are all still in shock about it and we still really miss him. He was the life and soul of the party. He was such a top lad.

“We’d probably have never said this to his face, but we all say he had a smile that would light up the room.

“It’s one of the worst feelings in the world when you realise someone has gone in the way Luke did.

“If we can help his family while also encouraging others to speak out, then I think that’s what it’s all about.”

To support the group’s challenge visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/inmemoryofluke