‘Beautiful send-off’ to be held for boy, seven, killed in Folkestone crash
William Brown’s family secured special permission from the King to bury their son in a historic graveyard which was ‘dear to his heart’.
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Your support makes all the difference.The funeral of a seven-year-old boy killed outside his home in a suspected hit-and-run will be a “beautiful send-off”, his mother has said.
On Saturday, community members and mourners are invited to gather in Folkestone, Kent, to pay their respects and celebrate the life of William Brown.
The boy died after a crash at around 5.35pm on Wednesday, December 6, on the A259 Sandgate Esplanade.
Two vehicles – a grey Peugeot van and a red Citroen car – were involved and the van left the scene before the emergency services arrived.
Words cannot express the unimaginable grief we feel as a family and the debilitating lives we now need to endure without his joyous presence
William was pronounced dead at the scene after he was hit while trying to collect his football, according to his father, William Brown Sr.
Nearly 1,000 people donated to a GoFundMe page set up by the family after his death to help with funeral costs.
Remaining funds are to be donated to St Mary and St Eanswythe Church, where the funeral service and burial will be held, to go towards a new heating system.
On the GoFundMe page, William’s mother, Laura Brown, said: “Words cannot express the unimaginable grief we feel as a family and the debilitating lives we now need to endure without his joyous presence.
In an update, she added: “We have organised a beautiful send-off for our son. We are going to donate the entirety of the funds accumulated through your wonderful generosity to St Eanswythe’s Church who are in desperate need for a new heating system which costs £35,000.
“Our son William exuded nothing but warmth and kindness. In his memory we would love nothing more than to replace the heating system in his honour.”
The family campaigned for William to be buried in the historic churchyard which had been closed for burials since 1857.
Ms Brown drove up to Sandringham on Christmas Day with her petition to deliver to the King, who granted special permission for William to be laid to rest in the churchyard that was “so dear to his heart”.
Ms Brown added: “He was a child of God and he spent nearly every day after school in that graveyard. He would spend his time collecting conkers, foraging for wild garlic or generally digging, something that he loved.”
According to KentOnline, the funeral will be livestreamed as well as screens being put up outside the church for mourners to watch the service.
A procession carrying William’s coffin will be brought to the church by horse and carriage in the colours of Manchester United, it is reported.
A 49-year-old man was arrested in Dymchurch on December 7 on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless driving, failing to stop at the scene of the crash and perverting the course of justice.
He was later released on bail until March 6 as officers continue their investigations.