Charity set to launch in memory of Horsham teenager, 18, who died in crash

Mia Craen lost her life in a collision on Worthing Road on January 30.

And now the 18-year-old’s family are setting up a trust in her memory to help young people afford sports equipment.

Mia’s mum Michelle said: “Something good has got to come out of something so awful.

“It’s keeping her memory alive and the values she had of just going for it and not giving up and helping others.

“It’s going to be put together to help children get into sport or stay in sport and pay for things they need like football bits or goalkeeping kit. Subscriptions to join clubs – things like that. She would absolutely love it.

“We all know that mental health of young people is at crisis point.

“Sport helps encourage teams and support for one another and it releases those good hormones to make you feel happier.”

Michelle said that Mia understood how expensive sport could be having had to borrow goalkeeping kit herself.

She added: “She wanted to make sure everyone had access to sport.”

Shortly after Mia lost her life a fundraiser was set up with thousands of pounds donated in the teen’s memory.

And Michelle praised people’s generosity as ‘amazing’. More than 1,000 people gave to the fund including England football star Jack Grealish who donated £2,000 in memory of the Aston Villa-mad teen.

Some of the money from that fund, as well as donations from challenges being taken on by Mia’s parents will be go towards the charity.

Michelle is running the Great South Run in October and her husband Peter is cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats, starting on August 24.

So far Michelle has raised more than £800 and Peter has had more than £1,600 donated.

To give to the funds and to find out more about how Mia will be remembered see https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cycleformia and https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/runformia