Charity Christmas toy run held in teen's memory

A Christmas toy run has been held in memory of a teenager who died in a motorbike crash in September.

Alfie Gray, 18, was killed in a collision on the A370 near Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on his way home from work.

Motorbikes were big in his life and among his friends, who, his mother says, have been finding different ways of keeping his memory alive, including by delivering toys to hospices across the west of England.

"It's all for Alfie, it's because of him, he's the reason we're doing it," said Jenny Gray, Alfie's mother.

"We're just trying to turn something horrendous into something positive, all in his name."

She told the BBC that the support from "absolute strangers, our places of work, our other children's schools" had been "amazing".

She added: "Alfie was someone who wouldn't often talk about himself but always made sure everyone else was OK and would help any way he could, so we thought this would be something he would like."

Thanks to the help of the school where Ms Gray works and the schools of her son's two siblings, his friends and family have managed to collect more than 30 large "Santa sacks" of toys "with more on the way".

All toys are being delivered to Children's Hospice South West, which has a site at Charlton Farm, in Wraxall, Somerset.

The fatal crash was just over three months ago and this will be the first Christmas his family has spent without Alfie.

Ms Gray said the last few months had been a "rollercoaster" for the family with "every day being a challenge" but that doing things in his memory was helping the family to cope at what was an extremely difficult time.

"At the moment we're not thinking too much about our Christmas," said Ms Gray.

"We're just trying to stay occupied and busy by doing things like the toy drive to turn something that's absolutely horrendous and that no parent should go through into something positive for Alfie."

As well as providing Christmas presents to children this Christmas, Alfie's toy drive also serves to raise awareness for road safety, especially around motorbikes.

"We're hearing all too often stories about bikers losing their lives on the road and I think it's really important that people are aware, looking out and not taking risks unnecessarily," Ms Gray added.

She said she planned to continue working with road safety charities after the toy drive to continue raising awareness.

Mark Harrison, head of fundraising at Children's Hospice South West, described the family's donation efforts as "beautiful".

"It's so kind of them and it's so wonderful that out of such a sad event they've brought so much joy to the children here," he said.

"I just think it's incredibly selfless and it will make all the difference to our children, and if it makes a difference to them [Alfie's family] this Christmas too then that's just amazing."