WHEN Chayse West died aged just 18 his family's life was torn apart. 

He suffered a severe head injury after being hit by a vehicle which failed to stop on the B1027 in Elmstead Market.

He was rushed to hospital following the incident in the early hours of September 18 but tragically died two days later from his injuries.

For his family life changed forever. 

But alongside grieving their son his parents were faced with juggling work with paying for a funeral. 

His mum Leah said: "When Chayse was killed, my husband and I were both self-employed.

“The last thing on our minds was ‘where’s the money for his funeral going to come from?

“We came to realise that if your child reaches 18 there’s no government help whatsoever.

“We were lucky enough to have friends and family member’s support, but we know that’s not always the case.

“Nothing takes grief away, but we help take the cost worries away so the family can focus on their grief and other children they may have." 

The Chayse West Legacy, was set up by his family following his death, to help other families facing the same tragic circumstances. 

The charity supports families with the costs of funeral services, focusing on the age range of 18 -26, but considers each individual that reaches out.

Leah said: “We say the age range is 18 – 26 but that’s not set in stone.

“We look at other age ranges, as well as self-employed people that may have lost children in younger age groups.

“When someone contacts us, we look at every person as an individual and we base it on that.

“The last thing you want to do is scrimp and scrape when you want to give your child the best possible send off – you shouldn’t have to worry about costs."

Since it was established, The Chayse West Legacy has supported three families through child bereavement, one of which suggested the charity to their local football team for a fundraising event.

“One of the families very kindly put our name forward to White Notley football club," Leah said.

“The football club chooses a charity each year to support, and they’ve done fundraisers for us which is so lovely and we’re very grateful."

The charity hosts its own fundraising events throughout the calendar year, with its biggest being their annual Chayse West Fest.

The event honours Chayse’s love of football, being centred around a 5-a-side football match, with a raffle, live music, activities for children and food and refreshment stalls.

This year’s fest took place last weekend and saw more than 500 visitors and raised over £17,000.

As well as this, the charity hosts other events, like The Three Peach Challenge, run by a group of 26 family and friends, and have started climbing mountains for charity.

Last year, the family, and accompanying supporters, climbed Mount Snowdon in Wales, and plan to travel to Barry Island, Wales to climb a mountain there later this year.

The charity is also in the midst of organising a fundraising cycle, from London to Paris.

Leah said: “We have family in Paris, so Paris is a really poignant place for us, it’s where we’ve spent a lot of time as a family.

“We want to keep fundraising and welcome fresh ideas and suggestions."

The Chayse West Fest carries its own merchandise, offering a clothing line range of T shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts.

“Chayse always said he’d have had a clothing line of his own," Leah said. 

“A lot of his clothes he based on Joey Essex – he loved anything tight.

“The logo on our clothing is actually one of the last photos we have of Chayse.

“We had someone make it into a silhouette of him so when you wear your sweatshirt, or your hoodie, you’re carrying Chayse with you."

The family hopes to continue supporting families struggling with bereavement and encourages anybody in need of support to contact them.

Leah added: “We’re so proud and humbled to be able to support families in this way.

“Chayse would’ve been so, so proud of us and of the charity – if any of his friends were struggling, he’d be the first there.

“It is a double-edged sword because we shouldn’t be having to do this.

“In the manner he was killed this just shouldn’t be happening – we’re trying to do some good with the worst possible situation ever." 

For more information and contact enquiries, visit thechaysewestlegacy.com