Victoria Centre announces Nottinghamshire Mind as 2026 Charity of the Year

Victoria Centre has announced that Nottinghamshire Mind will be its Charity of the Year for 2026, strengthening the centre’s commitment to supporting the communities across Nottingham.

The announcement follows the completion of a successful two-year charity partnership with Nottinghamshire Hospice, during which the centre raised a total of £24,972 in support of vital local services. In 2025, fundraising reached new heights thanks to activities such as the Christmas gift wrap activation, Christmas Mog Trail and a toy collection initiative to support families and children in need.

Following a strong first year of the partnership, Victoria Centre raised an impressive £14,139.96 through a wide range of initiatives. These included team fundraising events such as Christmas Jumper Day and an in-house ‘tuck shop’, as well as customer fundraising activity including a dedicated charity collection space and customer donations.

A key highlight of the partnership was the return of the Christmas event, Nordic Brights. The immersive 20-minute light trail experience proved extremely popular, attracting a total of 8,624 bookings. While free to attend, visitors were encouraged to make voluntary donations, with all proceeds supporting Nottinghamshire Hospice. The event alone raised £5,161, making a significant contribution to the overall fundraising total.

Nigel Wheatley, Centre Director at Victoria Centre, commented: “Our partnership with Nottinghamshire Hospice has been about far more than fundraising alone. It has helped to raise awareness of the essential palliative and end-of-life care the Hospice provides, strengthened our connection with the local community and supported individuals and families during some of their most challenging moments.

As we conclude this partnership, we are proud of the impact made together and look forward to building on this momentum in 2026 through our new Charity of the Year, Nottinghamshire Mind, where we aim to support mental health and wellbeing across the community.”

Nicola Rea, Chief Executive Officer at Nottinghamshire Mind said: “We are delighted to be named Victoria Centre’s Charity of the Year for 2026 and look forward to working together. Partnerships like this play a crucial role in helping us raise awareness about mental health, reduce stigma and ensure more people across Nottinghamshire can access the support they need, when they need it.”

For more information about Victoria Centre’s charity partnership with Nottinghamshire Mind and ways to donate, visit: https://victoria-centre.com/our-chosen-charity-nottinghamshire-mind