08 THE CHANCE MEETING THAT SAVED A LIFE AND SPURRED ACTION How one life-changing conversation, between two men on a bridge, united people across the UK to try to change the approach to mental health education.
I
t’s been 13 years since Jonny Benjamin MBE made a decision to end his life.
Standing on London’s Waterloo Bridge, on a cold January morning in 2008, the 20-year-old could see no other way out, as he struggled with delusions and hallucinations - the results of a schizoaffective disorder. As he looked down at the icy water of the Thames, personal trainer Neil Laybourn just happened to be passing by on his way to work. Spotting Jonny’s anguish, Neil made a split-second decision to stop and talk to Jonny. Their conversation saved Jonny’s life.
“I WAS REALLY UNWELL BY THE TIME I FOUND MYSELF ON THE BRIDGE THAT DAY,” SAYS JONNY WITH A SLOW NOD. “I felt worse than I’d ever felt in my life and couldn’t imagine getting better, but then this total stranger approached me, and talked to me, and offered to buy me a coffee. “He was the first person to give me hope, and his reassuring words prompted the start of my recovery.” Six years later, Jonny and Neil’s chance meeting on the bridge became the
focus of a global campaign, #FindMike, as Jonny searched for his saviour, eventually reuniting with Neil, and forging a firm friendship. Together the pair began campaigning to improve mental health support for young people in the UK, becoming ambassadors for national charity, Rethink Mental Illness. In 2018 they launched Beyond, a grantgiving charitable organisation that aims to provide mental health support to young people, families, and teachers. “Growing up in a Jewish community, mental health was a taboo,” says Jonny. “I was also struggling with my sexuality, so there was a lot I had to overcome.
