Charity games day in memory of stabbed teen

A charity games day has been held in memory of a teenager who was fatally stabbed at a party in West Sussex.

Charlie Cosser, 17, from Milford in Surrey, died two days after an attack on a crowded dance floor in Warnham last July.

His killer, Yura Varybrus, 17, was jailed for life for murder last month.

Martin Cosser, Charlie’s father, said the money raised from the event would help families going through similar experiences emotionally and financially.

The inaugural Charlie’s Games on Saturday began with a fun run at Charterhouse School, near Godalming, where Charlie was an apprentice groundsman.

At the main event at Jubilee Field in Milford, eight teams participated in a range of games. There was also live music, food and drink and an inflatable obstacle course.

Speaking at the event, 18-year-old Will Ransom, who was Charlie's best friend, said: “He was everything to me. He will always be my best mate, and his parents are like family to me.

“I got a tattoo of his name and it wasn’t even painful because I was already experiencing the pain of losing him.”

Funds raised will go to the charity Charlie’s Promise, which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of carrying and using a knife and to help the families of victims.

Mr Cosser told BBC Radio Sussex: "Knife crime is not getting any better. There is still a lot of work to do and helping people along the way, which is what the charity is all about.

“We want to create a safe space and to work with families like ours and support them emotionally, but also financially.”

Charlie’s Promise has raised more than £120,000 since registering as a charity in March.

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