A grieving Yorkshire family, who tragically lost their husband and father to suicide, are rowing the Atlantic in his memory.

Robert Ash, from Harrogate, died by suicide in September 2023, leaving his wife Charlotte and their three grown-up children, Camilla, James and Henry.

The Ashes are embarking on this epic challenge, despite having no rowing experience at all.

They are raising funds for the charity Suicide&Co, which has provided vital counselling for the family, following Robert’s death.

The family will be setting off on their 3,000-mile unsupported row from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in December next year. They expect the row to take about 45 days, depending on the weather.

62-year-old Charlotte explained: “The raw grief comes and goes in waves, and, two years on, it is still an incredibly powerful emotion for me. There is a permanent dull ache for what should have been.”

“Robert’s death was so shocking and so unexpected that it’s difficult to put what happened into words. He was a jolly, calm and placid person who had a strong and loyal friendship group.”

She recalled: "I came home one day, and police were in my driveway, and they told me a body had been found. Honestly, I had absolutely no idea that such a thing could ever have happened; it was just a normal day at the office, and then suddenly that. It was, and is, utterly devastating.”

It was Robert and Charlotte's youngest son, Henry, 31, who came up with the idea for the row.

"I'm not a rower, we're not really a water-based family," Henry admitted. “But I've just always had an urge to row an ocean from quite a young age.”

"A few people from school had done it, I'd always wanted to do it so now is as good a time as ever in Dad's memory to take it on."

The Ash family aim to buy their boat this April so they can start training on the water and will also need to complete courses on sea navigation, weather routing and first aid.

"They say that rowing an ocean is 90% getting to the start line, the row is the victory lap of your campaign," Henry said.

To prepare for their massive challenge, the family is spending a lot of time in the gym, and James and Henry are running the London Marathon, both as fundraisers and to build their stamina.

The goal is to raise £300,000, of which more than £200,000 will be going to Suicide&Co. The rest will cover the cost of the row, including the boat and all the training. Since the launch of their campaign in October, the family have already raised over £105,000.

"Suicide&Co have been an utter lifeline for us; they have provided us with counselling after Dad died and given us a community in which we can grieve together," Henry said. "The sad reality is their services are more in demand than ever, but they have been a huge help to us in the aftermath of Dad's death.”

"I hope anyone going through the same as what we are feels able to reach out and know there is hope after the darkest of times."

Amelia Wrighton, CEO and co-founder of Suicide&Co, explained: “It has been a privilege to support the Ash family on this project over the past few months. Their courage in sharing their story and taking on this huge physical and mental challenge for Suicide&Co is immense, and we couldn't be more grateful for their support.”

“This is undoubtedly our biggest fundraising challenge to date, which will fund more than 6,600 professional counselling sessions for people bereaved by suicide. The impact of the row on our ability to provide our services is monumental, along with creating a huge platform, raising awareness of suicide loss, and encouraging those with lived experience to access professional support. We are so proud to have supported the Ash family in their grief journey and look forward to supporting them in this new challenge.”

If you would like to support the Ash family in their epic challenge, please visit www.ashfamilyrow.com