Ashton town centre celebrated the world of Sci Fi and Superheroes on July 1^st with the help of Hyde Fundraisers. The event, sponsored by Ladysmith Shopping Centre, Arcades Shopping Centre and Ashton Market, proved a huge success for the volunteer group who have been operating since 1985.

During the day shoppers found themselves meeting R2D2, Batman, Kylo Ren, The Mandalorian, Captain Rex, Spiderman, Dalek and other characters. There was also a Dr Who 60^th Anniversary display in Ladysmith and also a display of 3d printed armour and helmets from Ares Designs in the Arcades. Other activities during the event included a cosplay competition and Star Wars window trail that featured prizes courtesy of mycardboardcutout.com. Comic strip artist Paul Pickford also gave children tips on drawing iconic monsters and characters too.

Hyde Fundraisers also made cheque presentations of £200 each to Willow Wood Hospice and YMCA from the event proceeds. One of the group’s management team, Steve Haines, said “Working in partnership with markets, Ladysmith and Arcades we were delighted to bring our characters to life for families and shoppers. We understand the challenges many face and by doing events like this I hope it provides a great distraction and fun whilst supporting charity. Thank you also to Councillor Choksi for judging the cosplay competition, Paul Pickford and all our volunteers for all their hard work at the event.”

You can find out more about Hyde Fundraisers by visiting www.hydefundraisers.com