‘Top lad’ Ben Davies, seen here in a picture taken by his mother Carol last Christmas. (0629487)

A GRIEVING mother is asking islanders to get behind a new charity that will help young men in difficulty.
Carol Healy was devastated when her son, Ben Davies, died on 8 August in an accident only metres from his Rue du Longfrie home.
The 25-year-old, described by friends as a ‘top lad’, had been riding his beloved Honda motorcycle when it was in collision with a car.
Now, Mrs Healy is asking people to join a round-island ride in his memory to raise funds for The Caritas Community Charitable Trust.
With Andy Priaulx as its patron, the trust aims to set up a community in which young people in distress or need can turn their lives around, learn new skills and regain their self-esteem.
One of its trustees is the Rev. Richard Bellinger, who will conduct Ben’s funeral service on Tuesday at 2pm at St Martin’s Church.

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‘After Ben died, his friends came round and we drank copious quantities of tea and talked and talked,’ explained Mrs Healy.
‘They came up with the idea of doing a bike ride for Ben and I thought, “That’s a great idea”. When Richard mentioned the charity, it seemed a perfect choice. I knew Ben would identify with it quite strongly and I thought, “We’ve got to do some good. Some good has to come out of this”.’
She described her son as ‘a lovely boy, reflective, sensitive and deep-thinking’.
‘He was very analytical.
‘I know he found various parts of his life painful and difficult to understand.
‘I know he felt that pain.
‘But Ben had the support of a loving family and he appreciated that. He knew that it’s the family unit and the caring that get you through. That’s how he would identify with this. That’s why I instantly thought, “Yes”.’
The ride is being planned for 7 September and is open to people with transport of any kind: ‘Anything that moves,’ said Mrs Healy.