THE TWIN brother of a Witney man who took his own life said he hoped to preserve the keen footballer’s legacy for the future.

Oli Cousins, 32, died last January when he was struck by a train in Shipton-under-Wychwood.

Last weekend, dozens of his friends came together to play in a charity football tournament raising more than £4,000 for mental health charity Lions Barber Collective and MAN v FAT, an initiative aimed at reducing male obesity through sport.

Twin brother Scott, 34, who organised the charity game said his brother’s death had left a ‘huge hole in all our lives’.

Speaking after the tournament, which was held at Barton Park Pavilion, Oxford, last Saturday, he said: “Preserving his legacy is now me doing his work for him; without him here, but in his honour and lasting memory.”

A trained carer turned painter and decorator, Witney dad Oli ‘gave so much time to help’ people, his identical twin said.

“If he was still here he would be doing something in the community, something to do with helping people. It was always close to his heart,” said Scott, adding how ‘proud’ he was of his brother.

“Oli was a dedicated family man who loved bringing everyone together. He was working in painting and decorating And he’d spend almost all his life thinking about people who were in need.”

At an inquest into Oli’s death last year, a coroner recorded a conclusion of suicide. Family members said he had appeared low before his death. The previous year a cousin had died and the twins’ mother, Sheela, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. 

One of the beneficiaries of the charity football match, Lions Barber Collective, trains men’s hairdressers to recognise the signs of poor mental health in their clients.

Oxford Mail:

Scott, centre, in blue shorts, with his teamates at the football tournament held in Oli's memory Picture: ED NIX

The cause is close to Scott’s heart. Following his brother’s death, he says he is speaking more to others about his own feelings – and in a message thanking those who played at last weekend’s tournament, urged them: “Speaking about [your mental health] makes a huge difference.”

Witney builder Scott told the Oxford Mail he hoped the tournament, which will become an annual event, would help other people: “As heart-wrenching as it is to do events like this, if we can save at least one life, then it will mean the absolute world to us and our mission in preserving Oli’s legacy.”

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