Following the passing of their son, Matthew Ben Hollingworth, aged just 22 in February 2022, parents Carolyn and Gary set up a special fund which raised over £25,000 for the Bone Cancer Research Trust. In the summer of 2023, the Matthew22 Fund gained registered charity status, which made it possible to issue grants to other charities which care for children suffering from life threatening illnesses with a focus on the support of patient and family care.
Currently they are supporting:
They also support local community projects and groups, including, Garforth Brass, Brigshaw High School DofE, Unibrass organisations which were close to Matthew’s heart. The charity also gives them the platform to help and support others, such as, local businesses, individuals, sports teams and amateur darts players. In their first full year as a charity, they have raised £18,000.
The charity was set up as a legacy to Matthew, who, during his two and a half years of treatment remained positive, determined and never gave up hope that he would recover from this terrible illness. Carolyn and Gary had always planned to raise funds together as a family once Matthew’s health improved, but sadly we never got the chance to do this.