The Andrew Gidney Foundation Donate

The Andrew Gidney Foundation

Andrew’s story

Andrew was a young man in his prime, heading towards a First-Class Computing Degree at Edge Hill University, when he suffered a depression that ended with him taking his own life. He was a creative, intelligent and caring young man, much loved by many friends and family. Ask anyone who knew him, and they will tell you of how kind and supportive he was.

He loved drawing and had a natural talent for it, as well as computers, being one of the authors of a paper on AI face recognition and building water-cooled computers for himself and with friends. He was an animal lover, and fan of the outdoors, often walking on the hills of Saddleworth.

Andrew didn’t have a history of mental illness. Friends and family didn’t realise how depressed he’d become in the short time of 3/4 months, and it was difficult to tell when it began and why. For the last couple of years, we’ve been trying to find a way forward without Andrew. He was an incredible person with a huge heart, and we miss him dreadfully. His loss could possibly have been prevented with a decrease in stigma along with easier and more acceptable access to support.

What we're doing

We feel now is the time to start doing good for local youths in his name and support them to live their lives to the full. We wish to benefit projects in the area he grew up in, Saddleworth, in particular projects that encourage creativity, computing skills and mental wellbeing in young people, as these were dear to Andrew’s heart.

Public Mental Health Services to date offer support until a child is 16. After their birthday, youths are seen in their eyes as adults, and enter a world of poorly supported services. A human brain fully matures at around the age of 25, so there’s a 9 year window when our children are deemed adult, although still maturing. In essence, our children are coping with major changes in their lives, such as going to University, securing a job, and maybe even having their own children, often without the support they need.

Any projects that could help to support youths with any of these pressures are very welcome to approach us.

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