Full Breakdown
Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide Enters Administration, Ending 30-Year Youth Suicide Helpline
9/9/2026, 5:11:23 AM
Core Event – Administration and Service Closure
Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide, the UK charity that operated the HOPELINE247 crisis helpline for young people, has been placed into administration. Joint administrators from Opus Restructuring & Insolvency were appointed after an “extended and extremely difficult period” during which the board explored all options to secure the charity’s future. The administrators announced that the charity would close with immediate effect, while they assess whether any services can be transferred to other organisations.
Background & Context
Founded nearly three decades ago, Papyrus provided suicide-prevention campaigning, education, training and direct crisis support to people under 35. Its HOPELINE247 service operated 24 hours a day and was routinely sign-posted by the National Health Service (NHS) and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Since 2021, the fundraising group 3 Dads Walking—comprising Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen, each of whom lost a daughter to suicide—raised more than £1.5 million for Papyrus through a series of long-distance walks across the UK.
Key Figures & Groups
- Harry Biggs-Davison – Chair of Papyrus trustees, who lost his son Patrick to suicide in 2015.
- Andy Airey, Mike Palmer, Tim Owen – Founders of 3 Dads Walking, fundraisers for Papyrus.
- Emma Mifsud and Charles Turner – Joint administrators from Opus Restructuring & Insolvency.
- Simon Gunning – Chief executive officer of the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).
- Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson – Representative of the UK government’s suicide-prevention strategy.
Data & Statistics
- Funding raised by 3 Dads Walking: over £1.5 million.
- Operational span of Papyrus: nearly 30 years.
- Service model: HOPELINE247 provided 24-hour crisis support to young people nationwide.
Official Statements & Responses
- The charity’s spokesperson said the board concluded that, amid rising demand, higher trading costs and a sector-wide reduction in reliable funding, Papyrus could no longer continue operating.
- Administrators Emma Mifsud and Charles Turner indicated they would seek “an orderly closure” and explore the possibility of transferring services to willing parties.
- A joint statement from 3 Dads Walking described the closure as “devastating” and questioned why a service relied upon by the NHS and CAMHS remained dependent on charitable fundraising.
On-the-Ground Reports
The group highlighted the timing of the closure—two days before World Suicide Prevention Day—as particularly distressing for families and young people who relied on the helpline.
What’s Next
Opus Restructuring & Insolvency will continue to manage Papyrus’s affairs, seeking potential transfers of its services to other organisations. No specific timeline for any such transfers has been announced.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It has been almost unbearable for us trustees to have had to make the decision.” — Harry Biggs-Davison
- “We know that services within the NHS have signposted young people and families to HOPELINE247 and relied on the expertise of Papyrus to provide support that they could not always provide themselves,” — Andy Airey
- “Suicide prevention is not an optional extra.” — Dads Walking
