THE sister of a north Essex man who was killed in a terror attack has received an award from the Prime Minister after creating a legacy in her brother’s name.
Zoe Alexander, whose brother Nick, 35, was killed by terrorists at Bataclan theatre in Paris in 2015, set up the Nick Alexander Music Trust the year after her brother’s death.
On Monday, eight years to the day of the terror attack, Zoe received a Points of Light award from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in recognition of her work to support people through music in memory of her brother – a former Colchester Royal Grammar School pupil who grew up in Weeley.
The Points of Light scheme recognises outstanding individual volunteers who are making a change in their community.
The Wivenhoe resident felt “humbled” to be recognised by the Government.
“It was a huge surprise and it felt really humbling and it is such a great way to honour Nick because it’s his legacy and everything that’s been created in his memory,” she said.
“When we set up the trust it was purely to give Nick a positive legacy and to cement what we knew about him and loved about him – his love of music, his love of people, and his want to connect people. He was a really social guy.”
'Music lets people be heard'
The charity was launched in 2016 with a huge fundraising event at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire and has since funded more than 25 projects across the country, including refurbishing a music studio at a centre for homeless young people in London.
More recently, the charity has supported a project in Braintree which was funded by a fundraising event fronted by Dermot O’Leary at Colchester Arts Centre.
Reflecting on the charity’s achievements so far, Zoe added: “Personal connections were really important to Nick so we wanted to take that out to the community.
“When times are hard and life is tough and there isn’t often a chance to be heard – music gives you the opportunity to do that.”
Suicide bomb-and-gun attacks killed 130 people across Paris in November 2015, including 89 at the Bataclan. More than 360 people were wounded.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the catastrophic attacks in the French capital.
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