In Memory Of Kyle

Tuesday, 12 July 2022 14:08

A fundraiser held in memory of a much-loved family man has raised more than £1,000 for men’s mental health charity, Mentell.

Hundreds of people assembled at The Forester Pub and Kitchen, located on Fir Tree Lane, to honour the memory of Kyle Holden, who tragically took his own life.

The event, which was organised by Tracey Hodson, had plenty on offer for everyone in attendance, with bouncy castles, face painting, tombola sand cake stalls amongst other things.

A raffle was also held to raise additional funds, with plenty of great prizes to be won, including Manchester City, Manchester United and boxing memorabilia.

Tracey, from Dukinfield, was spurred into action after being approached by her best friend, Kyle’s aunty. She said: “Kyle was my best friend's nephew, so she asked me if I could host or organise any type of fundraising activities, such as raffles or getting people to donate through a Go Fund Me page, to raise money for charity.

“From there it just got bigger, and so I decided to arrange the event to remember Kyle and raise vital money for the charity in the process.

“It was really well attended and the sun was shining which made it all the better.

“The event started at 3pm and I didn’t sit down until around 8.30pm, but it was well worth it, everyone enjoyed themselves and, most importantly, a lot of money raised.”

Such was the reaction to the event, Tracey is now hoping to make it an annual activity and, once they’re old enough, pass it on to Kyle’s children. Speaking on the importance of mental health, Tracey added: “I certainly think there should be more awareness and acceptance of men’s mental health issues.

“To suffer in silence must be really difficult and it can have such a big impact on your life, so I think these kind of events, and the work being carried out by charities like Mentell, are really important moving forward.”

Mentell provides free circles for men aged 18+ to talk (or just listen) in a safe and confidential space.

Members sit within the circle where sharing takes place. Everything has been designed to support men, in a safe, focused space.

Made up of volunteer members, the support team works tirelessly behind the scenes to keep Mentell running outside of circle.