Mackie Hill School pupils raise more than £5,000 in memory of their friend, Ethan Hargreaves

Ethan died unexpectedly in his sleep in November 2019, leaving his family, friends and the community as a whole, shocked and saddened.

As a lasting memorial to Ethan, his school friends and staff at Mackie Hill have been raising money to create two areas of remembrance.

They plan to open a memorial garden and a memoral playground in the KS1 and KS2 areas - at a cost of £25,000.

Over 200 children have already raised £5,700 with sponsorship events and fundraising to remember their friend and classmate.

Mackie Hill School said: "Ethan was a delightful boy who was filled with kindness.

"He will always be remembered for his huge smile and happy nature. In school, we talk about him often and his classmates enjoy retelling stories of their adventures together. In Ethan’s memory, we are going to create two special areas in school.

"A play area on the Key Stage 1 playground and a memorial garden on the Key Stage 2 playground. To begin making the memorial garden, we are launching the sponsored Challenge 100."

Any local businesses that would like to sponsor one or both memorial areas, or if anyone would like to make a donation to the registered charity, please contact the school's PTA chairperson, Catherine Holmes, on 07889008226 or email [email protected].