We are incredibly excited to confirm that an auction of Johnny Marr’s iconic guitars, set to go under the hammer later this year, will be raising money for the National Autistic Society.

Almost 100 instruments, which helped The Smiths musician to define 1980s indie rock, will be displayed at Christie's in New York and London over the summer before being auctioned off on 17 September.

The guitars include a Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo from 1982, which can be heard on famous tracks such as This Charming Man and also features on the cover of Supersonic, Oasis’ debut single.

Proceeds from 10 lots will be split between ourselves and The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.. Johnny has a personal connection to autism - his niece, Jodie, is autistic. The singer songwriter, who has also enjoyed a successful solo career, previously spoke out against Trafford council’s decision to scrap a bus service for disabled students, including Jodie, in 2016.

Hayley Butler, Head of Fundraising at the National Autistic Society, said:

“We are honoured that Johnny Marr has chosen us as one of two lucky charities to benefit from this incredible auction of some of his legendary guitars.

The money raised will support our charity’s work to create a society that works for autistic people.

We’d like to say an enormous thank you to Johnny for his fantastic support of our charity and for raising awareness of autism.”

More information about the auction can be found on the BBC News website.