A Melksham family has raised nearly £7,000 in their latest fundraising event in memory of their son who was killed on a night out three years ago.
Ben Smith, 18, suffered fatal injuries after being attacked near McDonald’s in Bath city centre in the early hours of Monday, November 1 2021.
A 19-year-old man was arrested at the time by Avon and Somerset Police, but he was not charged, and Ben’s family are still fighting for justice.
Alongside their legal battle, they are dedicating their time to hosting annual football fundraisers in honour of Ben, who started playing football with Melksham Town Football Club’s youth team at the age of six.
Their most recent event on Sunday, April 28 raised money for The Ben Saunders Foundation, SmileForJoel and One Punch UK – three charities which raise awareness of the catastrophic effects a single punch can have.
Ben’s mum Rachel Smith said: “It’s important to us to keep Ben’s memory alive as he should still be here and we have not had any closure. Youngsters need to keep their fists down, it’s ruined our life, and we wouldn’t wish it on anyone. We are trying to get the message out there and tell young people to just walk away.
“Nobody has a bad word to say about Ben. He was a kind, caring young man and he was making sure his female friends got home safely that night.
"Our son did the right thing and we are very proud of him. It cost him his life, but he was doing the right thing.”
She added: “The fundraiser reminds everyone of why we are there and we raise money for three wonderful charities that took the time to support us.
"It was a great day and both teams enjoyed playing and ranged from old teammates, past coaches and friends. People were asking us if they could play in Ben’s memory.
“Ben’s brother Alex doesn’t talk about is as it hurts too much. He said to us one day that he doesn’t care about anything, as the worst thing that could ever happen to him already has.
"But he put football boots on after eight years to play for his brother - he was on his old Melksham town team.
“It was so lovely to see the support we have been given and Melksham as a town come together for one of their own.”
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