Town CEO and chairman Mark Ashton was joined by Blues boss Kieran McKenna, ex-skipper Matt Holland and minority shareholder Ed Sheeran to officially launch the Lentonbrook Foundation, a charitable initiative aimed at supporting underprivileged children and young people across Suffolk, earlier this week.
Ashton first revealed he was setting up the foundation on Life’s a Pitch TV towards the end of 2023 and Tuesday saw its formal launch at an event at the Talbooth Restaurant in Dedham.
Former Town captain and now director Holland hosted an ‘evening with’ McKenna, Sheeran and Ashton himself. Sheeran, who is playing his trio of Portman Road concerts this weekend, also played a three-song acoustic set.
A press release outlines the initiative’s aims: "The Lentonbrook Foundation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered in April 2025, set up to award grants to charities and voluntary organisations focused on improving opportunities for disadvantaged youth in Suffolk.
"It will work closely with the Ipswich Town Foundation, as well as other locally rooted charities, to maximise impact across the region.”
Ashton said: "I feel privileged to live and work in this community, and I have a responsibility to help it thrive.
"The Lentonbrook Foundation is about giving back – not just through football, but through meaningful, long-term investment in young lives.”
The charity is named after Lentonbrook, a traditional scales manufacturer owned by Ashton’s father, who died in 2023, and uses the original business logo – a set of balanced scales – now representing fairness, opportunity and support.
"This logo reminds me of my dad every single day,” Ashton continued. "He taught me the importance of integrity and giving back. That’s the spirit behind this foundation.”
Other figures from the Town backroom team are on the board of trustees alongside Ashton, chief operating officer Luke Werhun, director of media and communications Marcus Nash and director of performance Andy Rolls and Ipswich Town Foundation vice-chairman Andrew Stevens.
The launch event raised more than £200,000, all of which will be reinvested directly into the Suffolk community.
Projects to be funded will include educational support, access to sport and the arts, essential items and mentorship programmes, distributed through trusted partners including the Ipswich Town Foundation.
For further information or to get involved in the Lentonbrook Foundation’s work, visit their website.