A SHOPPING centre will host a year-long series of events to raise funds and awareness for a local mental health charity.
Based in Ashton-under-Lyne, The Anthony Seddon Fund will be the official Charity of the Year for 2025/26 at the town’s Ladysmith Shopping Centre.
Set up by Anthony’s parents in 2014 after he took his own life the previous year, the charity offers mental health support, community wellbeing programmes and drop-in sessions for people who need help across Tameside.
“We’re honoured to be working with such a meaningful and impactful local organisation,” the Ladysmith’s centre manager Ian Pratt said.
“The Anthony Seddon Fund’s mission to provide compassionate, accessible support aligns perfectly with our values.
“We’re excited to help raise awareness and funding for their work and make a real difference in our community.
“In a meeting with Jason Bromley, the charity’s community engagement officer, we were shocked to learn from him that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 35 in the UK.
“It’s a stark reminder that urgent, local support is still lacking for those in crisis.
“What stood out most about the charity’s work is that their main goal isn’t fundraising, it’s awareness.
“They endeavour to spread their services far and wide in the hope of reaching as many people as possible, to ensure those who desperately need their services are aware of it and can access it.
“Ladysmith is honoured to stand alongside a charity that is making such a vital difference and undoubtedly saving lives.”
The shopping centre plans to host mental health awareness campaigns, fundraising days, ‘seasonal events’, and provide opportunities for shoppers to find out more about what the charity offers and how they can access its support.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “We at The Anthony Seddon Fund are incredibly honoured to have been chosen as Charity of the Year by Ladysmith Shopping Centre in Ashton.
“This recognition means the world to us and will have a lasting impact on the work we do in our community.
“A heartfelt thank you to the Ladysmith team for believing in our mission of mental health peer-support and suicide prevention and giving us this amazing opportunity.
“We’re excited for the year ahead. Here’s to making a difference – together.”