Video: Towie’s Joey Essex in bereavement charity’s ‘Onesie Walk’
Onesie walk with Joey Essex for Child Bereavement UK. Joey Essex with Anne Chalmers from Child Bereavement UK receiving his medal. - Credit: Archant
Towie star Joey Essex joined bereaved young people for a “Onesie Walk” fundraiser for a charity close to his heart.
Onesie walkers with their medals. - Credit: Archant
The Brentwood walk was held for national bereavement advice charity last Saturday and raised £10,000.
He met members of the Child Bereavement UK’s young people’s advisory group for 11-25 year olds who have experienced the death of someone close to them.
Joey, in his dashing red onesie, said to the Recorder: “I was invited here by Child Bereavment UK and of course I was going to do the onesie walk, I invented the onesie - as you can see it looks reem.”
Joey’s mother took her own life when he was just 10 years old.
He said: “It was great to meet some other young people who know what it’s like to experience the death of your mum or dad at a young age. I never found it easy to talk about when my mum died.
“I was only a kid. It’s a unique experience and people don’t really understand what it’s like at such a young age. Child Bereavement UK’s youth ambassadors are really brave to talk about their experiences of losing a parent – they’re braver than me.”
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He was among the 300 people who completed the 3km walk, at King George’s Playing Fields, dressed from head to toe in the persistantly popular onesie.
The fundraising walkers swept through the ornamental garden and the Hartswood access trail where they were kept entertained by facepainters and various market stalls.
Some of the young participants had brightly coloured stickers on their onesies in which they wrote messages to lost loved ones.
Joey said: “Mother’s Day can be tough when you haven’t got a Mum. That’s why I’m really proud to be here supporting Child Bereavement UK and raising awareness of the charity on Mother’s Day. I want other people to find the support I didn’t get.”
