A family in Liverpool has set up an endowment fund with the Community Foundation for Merseyside, to help reduce suicide rates in the area, in memory of their son.

The Mark McQueen Foundation will support sustainable projects concerned with young men’s health in Merseyside and other areas. It will also fund strategic research into suicide.

The family hopes that the foundation will ultimately support young musicians and musical activities, to reflect Mark’s musical interests, as well as reducing the rate of male suicide in the area.

Doug McQueen, who set up the foundation with his wife and son, said, “Marks’ Foundation … will fund local organisations and projects to make a difference in reducing the number of suicides. With this foundation, we hope to ensure a real impact in combating the biggest killer in young men. We are delighted to be working with the community foundation to ensure a strategic approach is taken in looking at this issue.”

As a charitable endowment fund, the Mark McQueen Foundation will be able to provide long term support. One grant has already been given to Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), which offers advice, information and help to young men aged 15-35. The foundation will make further grants from Spring 2009.