A fundraising concert being co-organised by a Helston musician has become a double memorial after one of its players took his own life.

Bandtastic will see brass bands from Camborne, St Austell, St Dennis and Roche perform their own sets at Truro's Hall for Cornwall before coming together to play en masse for the first time, in aid of Carrick Mind and Cornwall Search and Rescue Team.

The original thinking behind the concert on May 24 was to continue fundraising in memory of paramedic Del Wilton, who took his own life in summer 2013 after suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Ever since then, Del’s widow Nel has been raising awareness of mental health issues and fundraising for various charities under the banner of Thinking of Del and for this event has been working with the Cornish branch of Serenity Financial Planning, for which Helston-based Jeremy Squibb is head of life planning.

Jeremy, a long-serving member of Camborne Town Band, said: "The idea for Bandtastic came about because Del was a great lover of brass bands and, in his youth, played alongside many of the musicians who’ll be performing."

However, while plans were being put in place in December the news came that another member of the Cornish brass band community had taken his own life. Euphonium player Robert Jose, who lived in Camborne and played with Roche Brass Band, had even chosen the same spot as Del, at Hell’s Mouth near Gwithian.

Jeremy said: "Without doubt, Rob would have been one of the stars of the show. A happy go lucky person, he was one of the last people which you felt would feel the only way forward would be to take his own life. It is ironic that the very concert in which he would be starring is raising money for two very worthy causes connected with such a tragedy."

Now Bandtastic will honour both men, with each band dedicating a number in their programme to Rob before taking the stage together to perform what has already been described as a very moving euphonium feature in memory of Rob and Del.

Jeremy added: "It is very much like attending five concerts in one and certainly our dear friends will be able to hear the finale all the way up in heaven."

Nel chose to raise funds for the Cornwall Search and Rescue Team because, when Del went missing in August 2013, their team spent more than two weeks looking for him before his body was found at the foot of cliffs at Hell's Mouth.

The second beneficiary of the event is mental health charity Carrick Mind. According to figures released by its parent organisation Mind, Del was one of 5,140 people to take their own life in England and Wales in 2013.

Nel said: "More needs to be done for men facing tough emotional circumstances so they know where to go and do not bottle it up, like Del did."

In the last three years events run by Thinking of Del have raised more than £15,000 for some of Del’s favourite causes, such as Cancer Research.

Tickets for the event at Hall for Cornwall on May 24 are available from hallforcornwall.co.uk as well as the box office in Back Quay, Truro, priced from £11.