A distraught mother hopes to save other families from the same heartache after her son took his own life.

She hopes to honour his memory by helping others in similar situations to get the help they need.

Karen Pullen, from Basildon, described her son Craig Tyler as “the kindest, most loving and sensitive” young man whom “everyone loved”.

Dad-of-two Craig, 22, was found dead in Northlands Park, Pitsea, on Sunday, April 8.

An inquest into his death found he intended to take his own life and did so in a secluded wooded area of the park following a prolonged battle with mental illness.

Karen has set up a trust in Craig’s name in a bid to open a mental health crisis facility in Basildon town centre.

She said: “The pain I go through daily, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

“If I can even save one person then that’s my way of honouring my son.

“Hopefully we can save lots of people and save mums from having to go through what I have.

“These kids don’t need to suffer in silence. We are here for them.”

With the help of her family, Karen has set up the Craig Tyler Trust and is in the process of fundraising to raise £5,000-a-year to achieve charitable status.

“We want to raise money for a drop-in centre in Basildon with a relaxed atmosphere where people can come in and have tea or coffee and just chat with us,”she said.

“We will have the resources to help them.”

The team of around 15 volunteers are in the process of undergoing training with St John Ambulance to equip them with the skills to help people suffering mental health problems.

Karen is also enrolled on a mental health awareness course at South Essex College.

She said: “We have the backing of Basildon Council and Essex Police and there are several fundraising events in the pipeline.”

The next event is on September 1, which would have been Craig’s 23rd birthday.

The trust will be hosting a fun day in Chalvedon Fields, Pitsea with a charity football match, a bouncy castle much more.

“Our ultimate goal is to help the community in Basildon on any mental health issues and to stop young people feeling like they have nowhere to turn to and thinking that suicide is the way out because we’ve got ways to help them.

“There’s not a lot of resources in mental health at the moment so we want this to help Essex Police and the NHS.”

Karen said she hopes Craig’s story will also promote awareness about the importance of talking. She added: “Craig didn’t express how down he was and the thoughts in his head that he was going through.

"He suffered in silence but a problem shared is a problem halved and that’s what the centre is about.

"We want people to come in and talk to us. Talking is the most effective way of helping.

“In the future, we hope the centre will have a phone line. When you’re having a mental health crisis, you need help immediately. You can’t wait six months to be seen so we want to fill that gap.” A memorial bench is situated near where he died. Find put more at the Craig Tyler Trust on Facebook or e-mail thecraigtylertrust@gmail.com

Samaritans: 116 123​