Mark Culley (MD of The Orchard Fruit Company & OrchardWorld) is personal friends of the Watkins family and has agreed to participate in a tandem skydive to raise funds and awareness for the Charlie Waktins Foundation. However, this is only if we reach our target of £10,000.

Charlie Watkins was only 22 when he took his life in March 2017. Charlie is one of many examples of young people who suffer from mental health issues today, and the Charlie Watkins Foundation aims to raise funds for trustees of the foundation to better support young people suffering from mental illness problems.

The Charlie Watkins Foundation and Mid and North East Essex Mind are working in conjunction with the University of Essex and have established “Chat with Charlie”. This is an online mental health support service which is open to all students of the University of Essex seven evenings a week. In time they hope this can be rolled out nationwide to support not just students at the University of Essex but Universities all over the country. 

More information about the Charity and the work they are doing can be found on their website: https://www.cwfoundation.co.uk/

The Watkins Family has chosen to create the Charlie Watkins Foundation within Essex Community Foundation (ECF) (Reg Charity 1052061). Working with ECF allows the family to organise activities and raise money for the fund, whilst ECF provides the charitable and financial oversight. You can find out more about ECF, other funds under its management and grant programmes at www.essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk.

Information about the Charlie Watkins Foundation was found on their website: https://www.cwfoundation.co.uk/