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Empty Chairs Campaign Holds 1000th Meet-Up in Leigh-on-Sea
Dean Perryman began hosting the events in December 2025 after his friend's death. The campaign has expanded to multiple U.K. cities and four other countries.
Jul 12, 10:32 AM·1m read1 source
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Dean Perryman held the 1000th Empty Chairs meet-up a few weeks before July 2026 in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, with about 12 attendees. Fox News reported that Perryman, 30, of Stratford in East London, started the campaign in December 2025 after his best friend Rob Clancy died by suicide at age 29 in November 2025. Perryman wears a bright orange hoodie at the events to make his presence obvious.
He has attended 61 of the gatherings himself and said he has about 200 more already scheduled. The events began in London and Essex. Perryman used social media to generate interest and recruited volunteers to host sessions in Manchester, Bedford, Cambridge, Skegness, Gloucester, Leeds, York, and Wrexham.
Fox News reported that events have also taken place in Colombia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. Perryman works for the team-building game company Chicken Rush. He stated that the gatherings give people an opportunity to speak openly if they need it and that everyone shares their own story but it stays at the table.
"It has been such an incredible experience. I am loving every second of it still," Perryman told SWNS. " Perryman said he hopes the campaign can serve as a legacy for Clancy. "He was the kindest, sweetest guy you could ever hope to meet," Perryman stated.
