A Welsh accountancy firm has raised more than £7,000 for a rural mental health charity.

Ashmole & Co have raised a staggering £7,000 over the past 12 months for the DPJ Foundation. The staff at the accountancy firm held a number of events to raise funds for the Welsh, rural, mental health charity.

With 13 offices spread across mid and south Wales, approximately 80 staff including Partners from Ashmole & Co hiked 10 kms of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in September last year as the main fundraising event. Staff also held dress down Fridays, ran half marathon races and even crocheted a blanket to help raise funds.

Carwyn Morgan, Ashmole & Co Partner in the Carmarthen and Newcastle Emlyn offices, said: “Our rural clients confide in us as their accountant and we are sometimes the first they turn to when financial or family concerns impact on their lives and mental health.

“We are grateful to the DPJ Foundation for the training sessions they gave our staff as part of this year of fundraising so we could recognise the mental health issue warning signs.

“Our staff now feel more confident in signposting clients to professional help and support with their mental health. Thank you also to our clients and friends who helped us raise this fantastic total for this extremely worthy cause.”

The £7,000 raised is the equivalent of 140 professional counselling sessions or that amount of funding could run the charity’s Share the Load helpline for seven months.

The DPJ Foundation was set up in July 2016 in Pembrokeshire, supporting those in the agricultural sector.

Kate Miles, Manager of the DPJ Foundation, said: “We are very grateful to Ashmole & Co for helping to raise funds and awareness of the foundation over the last 12 months.

“Poor mental health in agriculture is recognised as a big problem across society and the DPJ Foundation aims to break down the stigma that surrounds poor mental health and provide support services for those in rural communities when they need it, where they need it.

“With the funds raised we are able to help people get help and ultimately prevent suicide.”