Young sports stars to benefit from hero firefighter charity

Published on Wednesday 18 August 2010 12:54

Thousands of pounds raised in memory of fallen firefighter Ewan Williamson will be awarded to struggling young sports stars or clubs later this year.

Around 11,000 was raised at the Ewan Williamson memorial ball earlier this year, held to celebrate the memory of the 35-year-old firefighter who died while battling the Balmoral Bar fire in July last year.

His mother, Linda Williamson, said a charity would be formed next month to help young sports people overcome financial hardship and realise their potential.

She said the beneficiaries would include at least one basketball player or club, as her son was devoted to the sport.

The firefighter's family and friends are still awaiting the outcome of a police investigation into the fire where he lost his life.

In the wake of Ewan's death, more than 3000 people signed an Evening News petition for him to be awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal. The application, submitted by then-Chancellor Alistair Darling, is being considered by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat.

Mrs Williamson said she hoped to hold an event in October or November to announce the recipients of the charitable funding. She said: "It will be a lovely occasion in Ewan's memory. There is this to look forward to and much good will come out of the generosity of all the people who donated gifts and attended the ball, which was a wonderful and happy occasion all in memory and gratefulness for the life of our dearest Ewan."

The ball, in March, was arranged by Ewan's best friends, Tony and Vicky Coia.

Mr Coia, who worked with Ewan at the gym in the Capital Hotel in Corstorphine before he became a firefighter, said: "It was absolutely brilliant, everybody was delighted to raise so much. I'd wanted to get about 8000 so to walk away with 11,000 was astronomical.

"Everybody had a ball on the night. The place was decorated with pictures around the foyer of him, and I did a collage of photographs and music.

"The charity is going to live on for a long time, hopefully success will come from it and we'll have more fundraising events in future."

Mrs Williamson hopes the fund will enable young people to share her son's enjoyment of sport. She said: "Sport was what Ewan loved, all kinds of sport, and he was a great team player which builds character and reliance on each other.

"I remember Ewan when he was about 11 or 12 playing in the youth football team in Kinross and every week he would come home and say 'We lost again', but he learnt how to take losing and then one day he came home full of joy, his face glowing. They had won and he was just so happy. This built his character.

"We have a responsibility to nurture our young people and support them, especially when they have great promise. Money should never stop a person from doing what he wants to do. This award is to help others achieve, and for Ewan, who we miss so much."