Fund in memory of Somerset man who died in balcony fall to improve young lives

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The mother of a Watchet man who died on holiday two years ago says she hopes his memorial fund can improve the lives of young people in West Somerset.

Freddie Pring was a popular rugby player in the area and his family have urged people to apply for funding, especially as so many lives have been affected by the Covid pandemic.

Freddie Pring died in 2019 after accidentally falling from a balcony in Majorca. It is now two years since a sporting fund was set up in memory of the Minehead Barbarians rugby player.

His mum Heather says now is the right time for it to change direction because of the impact of the pandemic.

She said: "We've watched so many people struggle and lose identity and direction. People had huge goals that they were working towards which suddenly just got axed.

"So we're in this process now where we want to get out there and offer our support, our funding, our sponsorship, to as many different sports and areas that can help with mental health, personal development or crisis situations.

"We want to be there for as many people as we can in the community."

West Somerset is a rural area with real challenges for young people. The district has an historic lack of opportunities available, something the fund hopes to change.

Heather said: "Because Freddie did move to Bristol and he went to New Zealand, he had lots of opportunities and I felt that's what made him grow as a person and gave him his strong characteristics.

"Because we are isolated here in West Somerset, it is really important that people can get out and travel. Traveling to events is a big part of personal development - it isn't just the course that you go on or the competition that you enter."

Since it launched, the fund has helped young people competing in a range of sports. The latest club to benefit, Unity Minehead Boxing Club, plans to open its doors more often and give direction to children in the town.

Ashley Jackson is a member of the club and said: "In these times they’re doing other things - they’re going off and doing not such good things and we want them in here.

"We want them where we can see them, we can give them that discipline, get them fit and they’ll feel totally different - it opens up a huge, wide range of things for them."

The hope now for Heather is that many people, not just in West Somerset but across the West Country, apply for support from the Freddie Pring Memorial Fund.

She says she is determined his name and his legacy live on: "Freddie’s death, obviously, was a huge tragedy - something that us as a family and as a mother, especially as a mother, I’ll never ever get over.

"It’s a huge hole in my life, unfortunately, however, the fund is built around Freddie’s characteristics and knowing that we are putting some hope back into the community for some individuals and families is what makes it amazing for us."