24 August 2026
Steve Vick International, a family run business built on more than four decades of trust, care and community, has named PAPYRUS (Prevention of Young Suicide) as its Charity of the Year. To mark the company’s 45th anniversary, staff will take on a 45km fundraising challenge on Friday 4th September 2026, following the Kennet and Avon Canal.
PAPYRUS is a UK charity dedicated to preventing suicide among young people and young adults. Its work goes beyond raising awareness, offering direct support, education and training to help keep young people safe.
A family business, with family at its heart
Steve Vick International has always described itself as a family business, not only in ownership but in the way it looks after its people. As the company celebrates 45 years of trading, the team wanted this year’s fundraising to reflect what really matters to them: looking after one another and making sure no one has to face difficult times alone.
For several members of staff, the choice of PAPYRUS is personal. Some have lost friends or family members to suicide, and their experiences have helped shaped the company’s decision to support a charity working to prevent other families from going through the same loss. Mental health and employee wellbeing are also of key importance to Steve Vick International throughout the year, not just as part of this fundraising challenge. The business already has several trained Mental Health First Aiders within the team, providing colleagues with someone they can turn to for support and helping to encourage an open and supportive approach to mental health in the workplace.
Caspar Vick, Managing Director at SVI commented, “As we celebrate 45 years of Steve Vick International, we wanted this milestone to be about more than our own achievements. We’re proud to be a family business, and being a family means looking out for one another, especially when
things are hard. Several of our team have lost people they love to suicide, and their courage in speaking about it has taught the rest of us just how important it is to talk openly about mental health, to check in on each other, and to make sure no one feels they have to struggle alone. Supporting PAPYRUS is our way of standing behind that belief, and I’d like to thank every member of staff taking on this challenge, and everyone who chooses to support us.”
The 45km challenge
To bring the anniversary and the cause together, colleagues from across the business will complete a 45km route on Friday 4th September 2026, made up of running, walking and cycling, working together as one team throughout the day.
The route begins at The Royal Oak, Wootton Rivers, near Marlborough, and finishes at Steve Vick International’s head office in Bradford on Avon, taking in some of the most attractive stretches of the Kennet and Avon Canal along the way.
Supporting PAPYRUS
Every donation, whatever the size, will help PAPYRUS continue its essential work supporting young people and the people around them. Click here to DONATE.
For practical, confidential suicide prevention help and advice, please contact Papyrus HopeLine 24/7 on 0300 102 2470, text 88247, visit papyrus-uk.org for the webchat service or email pat@papyrus-uk.org
