Sister of Afghanistan blast victim Matthew Hatton organises Help For Heroes fundraiser (From York Press)

Sister of Afghanistan blast victim Matthew Hatton organises Help For Heroes fundraiser

7:48am Monday 1st February 2010 in

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THE sister of Matthew Hatton, the York soldier who was killed in Afghanistan, will continue the family’s fundraising drive as they aim to raise tens of thousands of pounds in his memory.

Lance Bombardier Hatton’s friends and family have already raised more than £30,000 for soldiers’ charity Help For Heroes.

They began collecting for the charity after Matthew, who was 23 and from Haxby, died in a double explosion in Helmand province last August.

On Saturday, locals gathered at Haxby Methodist Church for a band night.

Now, Matthew’s older sister, Vicky, 26, is to add to the total through a glamorous “dress to impress” cocktail party featuring drinks reception, casino tables, live music and prize giveaways.

The event will be held at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, where Vicky now lives, and local firms have backed it.

Vicky said: “Sheffield businesses have been so generous it’s been quite overwhelming.

“Sheffield International Venues, which operates Ponds Forge, has donated the Skyline Suite to host the event, so without them this wouldn’t have been possible, along with Steel City Promotions providing the casino tables and Arup sponsoring the drinks reception.”

In the spring, Vicky will join Matthew’s other sister Becky, their parents Jill and Phil, and other friends and family for a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro.

Vicky said: “Matt was a hardworking and brave soldier, who continuously pushed the boundaries to improve his strength, skills and confidence.

“In honour of Matthew we wanted to do something really positive and actually push our own boundaries by taking on a huge fundraising challenge, and actually being fit enough to climb Kilimanjaro.

“Matt was a great supporter of this charity, therefore we really want to raise as much money as possible for this cause.”

Helen Broadbent, general manager at Ponds Forge, said: “We are delighted to be hosting this event and hope the fundraising is a huge success.”

To sponsor Vicky, visit justgiving.com/vickyhatton