Fund in name of ‘remarkable’ 19-year-old killed by dangerous driver reaches £36,000

Charlotte Hope died after a crash on the A53, at Astley, near Shrewsbury, on April 9.

Her mother Helen was also seriously injured in the collision.

Ashley Kosciekowski, 34, has admitted causing Charlotte's death by dangerous driving, along with the serious injury to her mother, and will be sentenced at a later date.

Charlotte, a former Shawbury St Mary's Primary and Thomas Adams pupil, was in the second year of her training to become a primary school teacher at Edge Hill University when she died.

Her ambition had always been to become a primary school teacher.

Charlotte had wanted to complete her training and go to work in Kenya, where she would also be able to continue with charitable voluntary work.

She had visited the country several times as part of Taking Football to Africa and Beyond appeal set up by her father, Wing Commander Neil Hope, and run through the RAF Football Association and RAF Shawbury.

Charlotte had also visited Kenya to volunteer at the charity Restart, which helps rescue children from the streets in the country.

Her aim had been to work as a teacher in the country and continue to volunteer with Restart.

Since her death a number of fundraising events have taken place, while friends and family members have taken on individual tasks to add to the legacy.

So far a total of £36,545 has been raised, which will go towards a legacy in Charlotte's name.

Wg Cdr Hope said that the intention is to use the funds to provide young people with education opportunities – and potentially follow Charlotte's dream of becoming a primary school teacher.

He said that the family had been overwhelmed at the support shown for the fundraising in Charlotte's memory.

"From our point of view when we started we expected to maybe raise a few thousand pounds, maybe get to £5,000, so the fact it has raised so much and people continue to fund-raise, and we receive other donations we didn't expect, is incredible," he said.

"To set something up as a legacy to keep Charlotte's name going means so much to us.

"This money will probably put children who would never have had higher education through university, and the hope is one of those children may even become a primary school teacher and fulfil the ambition Charlotte was not able to."