Wigan school's gift to family of late pupil Alex Crook on what would have been his last day
The dad of a Wigan teenager who died in a drowning accident last year has said he has been deeply touched by a final gift from his school.
Alex Crook was 15 when he lost his life in Scotman’s Flash last September and this week would have seen him finishing his GCSEs and looking forward to new adventures.
His father Neil says that Standish High School has been tremendously supportive this last academic year, not least through its charitable efforts for the fund set up in Alex’s memory aimed at preventing further open water tragedies.
And on what was effectively the last day of secondary education for the class of ‘25, family were presented with a custom-made school leaver’s jumper bearing Alex’s name.
Neil said: “It is a lovely gesture from the school during what has been a particularly tough week.
"First we had my first Father’s Day without Alex and then the day when he should have finished his GCSEs and left school.
"Quite frankly Standish High has been brilliant and so caring since what happened, and they gave us the jumper because they wanted Alex to be included with the departing cohort as all other Year 11s got them and he was one of their own.”
Awareness for Alex was established in the months following his death and aims to raise £10,000 that can be spent on providing safety equipment and danger signage at open water where youngsters are tempted to swim during the warmer months.
Some of the money too will go towards better educating youngsters about the perils of trying to swim in open water.
There are two fund-raisers coming up over the summer which Neil hopes will take them to the target and then allow them to start spending the money on potentially life-saving items.
The first is a football tournament taking place at Laithwaite Park football hub between 5.30pm and 7pm on Wednesday July 23. It is being organised in conjunction with Wigan Athletic Community Trust, and Lancashire Fire and Rescue will be in attendance will be in attendance giving warnings about swimming in open water.
Then at 6.30pm on Saturday August 16 there will be a charity night at Wigan Cricket Club. Further details will be released later.