‘I Got You’ was one of the things that Josh Clarke’s friends and family would often hear from him when they needed support.

According to his mum, Leesa Mountford, Josh was committed to being there for those he loved and had no problem letting them know that he always had their backs.

“Josh was a happy larrikin that wanted to make people happy,” Leesa says.

“He was a big mental health advocate; he was always looking out for his mates.

“He loved his family, loved his sisters, loved his mum.”

However, on Sunday 11 April 2021, a day when Josh had insisted he wanted to go to work as a labourer in the new construction job that he loved, he instead took his life.

His bosses had told Josh that he did not have to work and suggested he take the day off. But according to Leesa, Josh insisted on going in, telling them, “No, no, no. I’m turning up.”

Leesa said that the connection to the building and construction industry was the first career move that really resonated with Josh.

“It brought Josh joy,” she says.

“I don’t know if he would use that word, but it definitely gave him purpose.”

This, amongst other things, had family, friends and employers believing that Josh was in a great place at the time he died.

Josh was 25 years old.

His sudden and tragic death was a horrific shock to all, including his two sisters, Mackenzie and Taylor.

Reflecting on her deeply painful experience as a mother, and the ‘agony of the system and aftermath of the loss’ of Josh, Leesa feels so much for other parents.

“I have this conversation with a lot of people when kids, when our teenagers, make wrong choices, that you hear people saying, ‘Where are the parents?’” Leesa says.

“It’s not always that black and white. Sometimes the parents have tried everything, and they feel helpless.”

Leesa encourages people concerned about or affected by suicide to keep reaching out for professional help, but also to support organisations like I Got You, StandBy Support, and Roses in The Ocean.

“My advice would be to reach out because there are a lot of parents going through things when their children may just be going through a moment where they’re making wrong choices,” she says.

Toward the end of 2021, Leesa and Josh’s family felt it important to honour Josh’s commitment to others and their mental health, using his own words, ‘I Got You’.

To this end, they started creating online T-shirts and merchandise based on Josh’s own handwriting.

By 2025, it became evident that there was an even greater need and the I Got You organisation was officially launched to build suicide awareness and empower the community in Josh’s memory.

Leesa says that I Got You is a “nonclinical” organisation with a strong “peer focus” centred around connection, “…so that people don’t feel that they are isolated”.

The organisation facilitates regular ‘Tradie Tune-ups’ and ‘Tradie Toolbox Talks’, amongst other things, and an annual fundraising gala to support these activities, alongside small grants.

I Got You recently received a Suicide Prevention Australia LiFE Award for the Trek of All Trades (Communities in Action category).

On Sunday 20 September, I Got You invites Canberrans to the 2026 Trek of All Trades (a drive, not a walk).

The team invites you to bring your crew, workplace, family or mates to be part of a community event built around connection, conversation and suicide prevention across the construction industry.

The Trek of All Trades starts at Kamberra Winery Function Centre Car Park, Northbourne Avenue, at 8:30am and finishes at Black Mountain Peninsula.

Registration is $20 per vehicle and includes an I Got You flag for your vehicle, an I Got You sticker and a ‘sausage sanger’ at the end of the Trek.

Leesa says, “It’s really just a way of bringing the community together, checking in on each other, and bringing people together to connect and meet new people.”

“But the meaning behind the trek is about remembering the lives that we have lost to suicide and supporting each other, because we’ve all been touched by suicide.”

“It’s tough.”

But for others, Leesa has a message born out of the lived experience no parent ever wants to share.

“Don’t give up, and don’t give up hope,” she says. “Hope’s a big thing. Just look for your people. Lean on your people.”

You may be able to connect with people who understand what you are experiencing too, on 20 September.

To register for Trek of All Trades, visit igotyou.org.au.

If this story raises concerns for you or someone you know, support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.