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Memorial game for teen killed in crash raises £10k

Avon and Somerset Police A picture of Bethany Branson who is smiling at the camera.Avon and Somerset Police
Bethany Branson died in a car crash in Bridgwater in November 2022

The mother of a teenager who was killed in a car crash says a rugby match held in her memory was "unbelievably amazing".

Bethany Branson, 19, died when a car she was travelling in was hit by a driver who sped through a red light in November 2022.

The match at Bridgwater and Albion Rugby Football Club raised £10,500 for two charities. Ms Branson played for the club since the age of 13.

The teenager's mum Amy Branson said: "Hundreds upon hundreds of people filled the stands on Friday night, I got very emotional."

Bridgwater and Albion Rugby Club The Bridgwater and Albion Ladies team in their rugby kits. They are standing on the pitch looking at the camera. The kits are black, yellow and red.Bridgwater and Albion Rugby Club
Bethany Branson had played for Bridgwater and Albion Rugby Football Club

The memorial match was the second held for the teenager.

Money raised at the event will go towards St Giles Animal Welfare, where the teenager volunteered, and Wooden Spoon - an organisation which supports vulnerable children through rugby.

Amy Branson said: "Keeping Bethany's memory alive and legacy going is what I live for.

"Her Bridgwater and Albion ladies keep us going. There are days when they are the reason that I have got out of bed.

"They are working so hard to keep her name out there. It would be so easy for those young girls to move on and they haven't."

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