How a Bath teenager who died of cancer is still helping hundreds of other families

A Bath teenager who died of cancer is still helping hundreds of other families affected by the disease.

Ben Saunders passed away, aged 18, from a synovial sarcoma attached to his heart on 25 August 2020.

Since then, the Ben Saunders Foundation - which he started himself - has raised more than £750,000 and helped 350 families impacted by cancer.

Speaking on the fourth anniversary of his death, Ben's father Tom said: "Ben was a confident young man, very handsome and extremely popular.

"It the final few weeks of his life, the foundation was all he thought about.

"He wouldn't have believed how well the foundation has grown, but he would be very proud of it."

Before he passed away, Ben raised nearly £40,000 to buy a lodge in the Cotswolds that other families going through cancer could enjoy.

They have the chance to try water sports, crazy golf, indoor and outdoor swimming pools - or just take a much-needed break.

The charity now owns two lodges, which it funds through a monthly prize draw and the Bath Half Marathon every year.

Tom, the foundation chairman, said: "The feedback is simply incredible, we've had families stay from all over England, Wales and the North of Scotland, during the school holidays if we had five holiday homes we could easily fill them.

“This is an horrendous time of the year for our family with Ben’s anniversary this weekend, we are however very proud of everything that has been achieved to full fill his last wish that was never to be forgotten”.

As well as providing breaks in the Cotswolds, the foundation also provides vouchers for anyone who spends time in the Teenage Young Adult cancer ward in Bristol.

Locally over 50 football clubs are now displaying the foundation board inside their stadiums in an incredible show of support.

Anyone wishing to support the foundation can find out more here.