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Foundation to be set up in memory of Jersey skater

Chris Craddock
BBC Jersey communities reporter
Eddie da Rocha Danny smiles at the camera as he holds his arms in a cross position. He has a drink in a can in one of his hands and he's wearing a light brown jacket with tassels and a grey t-shirt. Danny has shoulder-length curly hair which is light brown. Eddie da Rocha
Friends and family of Danny Cram said he was a much loved member of the skating community

Almost £13,000 has been donated to set up a foundation to help young adults with their mental health in memory of a Jersey skater.

Danny Cram was 25 when he took his own life in December after struggles with his mental health.

Friends and family have set up the Danny Cram Foundation to provide more support in the island for young adults and their families.

Some of his friends said "everyone loves him" and "his personality was unmatched" with his mum Louise Cram adding he was "a kind and courageous soul".

Eddie looks at the camera as he wears a big dark blue coat with a white hoodie on the inside. He is standing in front of a skate part with people practicing behind him. Eddie has short, shaved hair.
Eddie da Rocha said he wanted to show how loved Danny was and to help others struggling with their mental health

Eddie da Rocha was a close friend of Danny's and helped set up the fundraising.

He said Danny "was the most unique character, very outgoing" and "Danny liked helping others more than himself".

Mr da Rocha added: "Danny will be the type of boy who will just sit there and listen to you and he would just let you talk and I'm sure he would be really proud of what we're doing."

He also said "you just realise that Jersey doesn't have the tools required to help young adults with mental health problems" and "I think it's a bigger issue that we think".

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Eddie da Rocha Danny is on the left and is looking off camera while Eddie is on the right and is smiling at it. They have their arms around each other as Eddie holds his free hand to his chin in a thoughtful pose. He has bleach blond hair and is wearing a white jumper. Danny has a black leather jacket with a white t-shirt and a black cowboy hat.Eddie da Rocha
Danny (left) and Eddie (right) spent a lot of time together at Jersey's skate parks

Jersey's government said it expected to publish the island's Suicide Prevention Strategy by the end of the first quarter of the year.

The latest figures from the Mental Health Profile found between 2018-2020 there were the age-standardised mortality rates (ASMR) for suicide in Jersey of 9.3 deaths per 100,000 people.

The rate in England over the same period of time was 10.4 per 100,000.

Three-quarters of all suicides in Jersey involved men (72%).

The next Mental Health Profile is due to be published at the end of April and there is a list of support services available for those in need.

Phil looks at the camera wearing a blue hoodie with the letters SJ on his chest. He has a blue beanie hat with grey curly hair coming out of it. He is standing in a skate park with graffiti in Danny's memory behind him.
Phil Minty from Skateboard Jersey said there was a "need for change"

The governing body of skateboarding in Jersey, Skateboard Jersey (SJ), paid tribute to Danny and said they were working to better support others.

Phil Minty, from the SJ, said "at first there was an overwhelming sense of grief" as Danny's death had "a serious impact" on the skating community.

He added: "I hope the need for change is now recognised and it's dealt with appropriately."

SJ is working with the Ben Raemers Foundation, which is a UK charity that was set up following the suicide of professional skater Ben Raemers in 2019.

'Tragic loss'

Susie Crome is one of the co-founders of the Ben Raemers Foundation and is planning to come to Jersey to help the local skating community.

She said they would teach first aid suicide training and "give an to introduction to understanding suicide and how to have conversations around suicide".

"It's about recognising what support systems people have already got and how we can build on those but also it's devastating that it had to come from a tragic loss," Ms Crome added.

The foundation aims to help the skateboarding community develop the skills needed to support each other to understand and address mental health.

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