AN urgent fundraising campaign has been set up to help cover the costs of a funeral for a Redditch father of one who tragically hanged himself.

Popular Stephen Mellor, aged 55, of Birmingham Road, was found hanging from a tree in Arrow Valley Country Park last month after a long battle with a number of mental health issues.

Now, his heartbroken partner Donna Grimshaw is appealing for help to pay for his funeral, set to take place later this week, via a GoFundMe page set up by a mutual friend.

The target is £5,000 which is hoped will help cover the funeral costs, as well as raise cash for charity and his 17-year-old son Callum.

Ms Grimshaw, who described Stephen as “amazing person” and who always seemed “happy”, said: "I can't believe that he's gone.

“He unfortunately had a battle that no one could see, that he kept close to his heart and didn’t let it show regardless of how he was feeling on the inside.

“He was an amazing person who was always singing. He would strike up a conversation with anyone and was very popular.

“He loved the outdoors and we would spend most weekends visiting national trust properties where he would always insist of having a cup of coffee.”

She added: "We want to make sure he has a proper funeral, but we just can't afford it.

"Any amount of money raised would be a great help, anything raised that is not used for the funeral will go toward the charity Samaritans, which Stephen was hoping to work for, and his son."

Ms Grimshaw, who met Stephen in 2009 after he moved to Redditch from Doncaster, received a text off Stephen on the day he died but was too late to find him and stop him.

“I managed to get to the park and found his car but couldn't find him,” she said.

“I called the emergency services and even had strangers in the park looking for him - unfortunately it was just too late.

“He text me to say goodbye – it was heart-breaking.”

When the couple met, Donna, who works at Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital, had just started a three year nursing course.

Throughout those three years, and afterwards, former call centre worker Stephen provided support to both Donna and her two daughters 12-year-old Alice and 10-year-old Ellie.

“He really looked after me, he was the type of person who would leave little notes saying how much he loved me,” she said.

“Despite what he might have been going through he was always there to support me and my children.”

The pair had separated before his death as their relationship suffered due to Stephen’s deteriorating mental health, and previous attempts to take his own life, but despite this the couple would still meet up.

"For the last year he really battled with his mental health problems,” she said.

“He felt as if he had been let down by the local mental health team. There was no one who could help him, he was struggling and desperate for help."

"I feel guilty and upset about what happened."

The funeral of Stephen, who had three step-children from a previous marriage as well as Callum, is set to take place this Friday, October 9 at Redditch crematorium at 3.30pm. Anyone is welcome to come and pay their respects.

To donate to the appeal or for more information, visit gofundme.com/3a5ezmtw.