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Seashell President Ged Mason OBE hosted a wonderful dinner at LI~LY By Aiden Byrne in support of Seashell, with guests including Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ged, Aiden and his wife Sarah have been avid supporters of Seashell for a number of years. Aiden first supported the charity by cheffing at an event to raise money for a new building for Royal School Manchester. The Moulding Foundation Building opened in February 2023, and Aiden and Sarah’s support was vital for us to reach our fundraising target for the construction.
Ged and his late father Gerry began supporting Seashell after visiting our school, college and residential homes almost 20 years ago. Their company, Morson Group, was the first to employ a former Seashell student, which was revolutionary at a time when people with learning disabilities were being overlooked for paid work. Since then, the family have made significant donations to Seashell, and in 2024 Ged became our President. Next year will see the opening of The Ged Mason Building, which will be the new home for Seashell’s Royal College Manchester.
Seashell’s CEO Brandon Leigh said: “It is an honour to work with both Ged and Aiden, and their support of Seashell has been invaluable.
“The event at LI~LY was a huge success and a significant step towards reaching our £10m target for The Ged Mason Building. We have just over £2 million left to raise and events like these help us raise awareness with people who can help us get there – whether that’s direct support or helping us spread the word to their business networks and friends.”
Aiden and his team served up some delicious courses, and Seashell staff were able to engage with attendees and show them a short film demonstrating our impact.
Ged added: “All any parent wants is for their child to be educated in the best facilities possible, by experts that can give them the very best education. The young people at Seashell are very deserving of their new building and it’s a privilege and an honour to be associated with it. I can’t wait to see it open next year.” (You can see more of Ged talking about The Ged Mason Building here).
Next week, Ged and Aiden will join more VIP guests, Seashell staff, and students for a Topping Out Ceremony. The event is a tradition in construction circles when a building’s main structural frame is complete and the final piece of the highest point has been installed. The event will be marked by placing a tree on the highest part of the building, as per ancient tradition.
The building will be completed and see students and staff moving in in early 2026.