The family of an 11-year-old girl who died suddenly in her sleep have set up a fundraiser to fulfil her dream of a “world without litter”.
Matilda Pritchard unexpectedly passed away due in April due to an undiagnosed heart condition. He death left her parents, Anna and Steve, devastated and heartbroken with many unanswered questions.
Now, her family has decided to honour her memory by fundraising for Keep Britain Tidy – a campaign she was passionate about.
They hope Matilda’s legacy will help to empower school children to make a difference within their school and wider community.
Originally hoping to raise £11,213 – to represent Matilda’s birthday – the appeal has now reached more than £19,000 to help support Keep Britain Tidy for five years. The aim is to reach £40,000.
Matilda had an undiagnosed heart condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) which affects one in 1,000 people, a condition which Matilda showed no symptoms of having until she tragically passed away in her sleep.
Steve Pritchard, Matilda’s father, said the appeal was a way to channel their grief and to celebrate Matilda’s life and issues she was passionate about.
He said: “Matilda had a compassionate heart and a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment. She was deeply impacted by the sight of litter around our local community and its effects on nature. She cared so much that she joined a local litter-picking group in Pudsey, and Matilda dedicated her time to cleaning up the community she loved.
“When we were on our dog walks we would regularly collect bags of litter, ensuring our local public spaces remained clean and beautiful for everyone to enjoy. We were very proud of her for her community spirit and awareness of the environment.”
With the original target raised, the family have worked with Keep Britain Tidy to utilise the funds raised in the best possible manner to achieve Matilda’s dream. They feel Eco-Schools program is the most suitable channel to share Matilda’s story as well as the impact we all have on the environment.
With the first year’s worth of sponsorship raised, the family are now looking to raise £42,000 to continue to support the cause for five years, the same length of time Matilda should have been at secondary school.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “We want to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to Anna and Steve who are fundraising for Keep Britain Tidy in memory of Matilda.
“Matilda dreamed of a world without rubbish, a dream we share. Her passion for keeping her local parks clean and tidy is a reminder to us all that one person can make a difference.
“No matter how big the environmental challenges we face, we would all do well to look at this beautiful country through the eyes of our children – through Matilda’s eyes – and keep striving for a world without rubbish.”
More information about Matilda’s fundraising campaign can be found on JustGiving.
The aim is to raise as much money as possible to support the Eco-Schools program to help empower school children to make a difference in their school and wider community.
People can support Matilda’s cause by visiting matildaslegacy.com.
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