Please read about Tom Clarke, who tragically took his life in 2020, and how the incredible donations raised for him in aid of Tonic have been used to create a lasting legacy.
Tom Clarke
On June 28th 2020, a young man, Tom, tragically ended his life. Through this tragedy, Tom's family found us and asked for donations to Tonic, rather than flowers. Tom's family and friends donated a staggering £6,000, which has blown all of us away. Tom loved music and found solace in listening to and creating it. He left behind a collection of songs and compositions of many different genres, and he was extremely talented.
Please listen to Tom’s song ‘Long Way Home’:
A message from Tom’s family:
“It has been over 7 months since Tom left us and not a day goes by that we don’t think about him. He was an extraordinary person, kind and loving, and he had a great sense of humour, as well as being a bit of a prankster at times!
“He was passionate about music and clearly sought solace in it when struggling with his mental health. He composed, sang, played the piano and the guitar, and created many tracks that showcased his talent. It saddens us that Tom’s talents will no longer be put to use.
“Tom will always be missed and our family will never be the same without him. We seek comfort in being able to hear his voice in the music he left behind. Tonic would have been a really suitable charity for Tom – unfortunately, he didn’t have the opportunity to benefit from their support, but we sincerely hope others can.”
We have met with and got to know Tom's wonderful family and, with their agreement and support, we have used the money donated to help fund a new post at Tonic, in honour of Tom’s love of music. We were so touched by Tom’s family and hearing about Tom’s life and his love of music. It felt important to us to mark Tom’s life by creating a job role at Tonic that would enable us to support more people like Tom who were finding life difficult.
The donations from Tom’s family have helped us to create a new job role and we are delighted to welcome Brigitte to Team Tonic. Brigitte is an experienced mental health occupational therapist, having worked in community mental health teams and inpatient units, and has joined our Recovery Through Music programme as a mental health practitioner.
The Recovery Through Music programme provides safe and supportive environments for people to come together, learn new skills, get creative, and make new friends. The programme comprises Creative Workshops, the Tonic Ska Choir and the Tonic Punk Choir.
Big love to Tom and everlasting gratitude to his family. We will use their kind donations and the power of music to help more people find their roads to recovery, and create a lasting legacy.
Your donations really do make such a difference to Tonic and the support we are able to provide to people experiencing mental health problems.
Much love,
Team Tonic
If you are feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal you can get help by calling Samaritans on 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org