MAKING SURE DOM'S LIFE SHINES ON
Dominic Crouch died tragically and suddenly aged just 15 in May of this year. We decided that the best way to make sure that his short life leaves a lasting legacy would be to raise funds for the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund that supports children in South Africa. The funds will go to the new specialist children's hospital that the Fund is building in the Johannesburg/Pretoria area. There is an acute shortage of specialist children's hospitals in Africa with only three hospitals serving 750 million people across the whole of Africa. All donations raised at Dominic's funeral and since have already been directed to this cause.
We chose this cause because Dom was always concerned to help children who were less fortunate than himself and he really liked the idea of South Africa as the Rainbow Nation. A group of Dom's friends, other parents and teachers has come together to co-ordinate our fund raising efforts. Dom was a keen sportsman, especially rugby and also loved hill walking and climbing. One major event this year will be a memorial rugby match on 17 September between Cheltenham and Stow rugby clubs (Dom had played for both clubs). We are also working on other events such as sponsored walks and mountain climbs; the sale of wristbands (DC4NMCF), fund raising club nights for teenagers; concerts and a picnic fun day in our home village.
In a demonstration of the love and affection in which Dom was held over 300 people attended his funeral and nearly 1400 people have joined the RIP Dominic Crouch group on Facebook. We have had hundreds of moving tributes to a popular and good natured young man.
The new children's hospital will open in 2012/13 and our aim is to raise sufficient funding to have a unit or even a ward equipped and named in memory of Dom.
