Bereaved students win road safety award for fundraising efforts

Related Tags: Brake, Julie Townsend, Road Safety, Fundraising, Award, Lorry, Leeds University, A14, Car Crash

Bereaved students win road safety award for fundraising efforts

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Published: 30 January 2013

TWO bereaved girls who together raised £19,000 to raise awareness of road safety have won prestigious awards for their achievements.

Georgia Mann, from Suffolk and Sophie Macrae, from Perthshire, were presented with the Fundraiser of the Year Award, by road safety charity Brake at a ceremony in the Houses of Parliament.

Motortrades

Sophie Macrae (Left) and Georgia Mann (Right) want to inspire a generation of road safety fundraisers.

While Sophie was bereaved as a young child, Georgia lost her father Edward during her studies with Sophie at Leeds University. Edward was killed when he crashed into the back of a lorry parked in an unprotected lay-by on the edge of the A14 in February 2011.

"We're both delighted to receive this award," an emotional Georgia said. "We just wanted to help others and support a worthy charity that makes a huge difference to people's lives. It's vital that organisations like Brake continue to campaign to make roads safer to prevent more people dying on roads. I was very proud to be able to fundraise in memory of my Dad, and I'm proud to be given this award. It means a lot."

Sophie's sister Henrietta, from Auchterarder, Perthshire, was killed in a crash in 2002 when she was just 20-years-old.

"It is wonderful to know that our fundraising will help support people who have suffered a bereavement or injury from a road crash, and to try to stop others having to go through what we've been through," Sophie explained.

"It's hard to explain the pain of having someone you loved snatched away from you suddenly - it's something no one should have to go through. My sister always wanted to run the London Marathon and never got to do it, so it was a very emotional experience, but made worthwhile knowing that we raised valuable funds."

Together, they wanted to make a difference and help prevent other families experiencing the devastation they have by fundraising for national road safety charity Brake.

So in April 2012, the two young women ran the London Marathon together in memory of Edward and Henrietta, and together they raised an incredible £19,000 for Brake.

The money raised will help Brake to continue its work caring for other families bereaved and injured in road crashes as well as campaigning and educating to make roads safer for everyone.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive for Brake, the road safety charity, said: "Georgia and Sophie have shown incredible determination to make a difference following personal tragedy."

Georgia and Sophie are two of thousands of bereaved throughout the UK every year - brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and friends who fundraise for road safety causes to save lives.

The ceremony was attended by politicians, 'high-ranking' police and fire officers, road safety campaigners, volunteers, 'professionals', company executives and members of the press.