Remembering a True Original

To those who knew him—whether as a colleague, a friend, or as the inspiring Art teacher at The Flagship School—Jay was an original. He was an incredibly caring, patient, and unique person who had a rare gift for seeing the potential in everyone. Jay spent his life shining a light on those around him, always believing the very best in people, even when they struggled to see it in themselves. Sadly, at the beginning on February 2026, Jay lost his battle with Mental Health. His loss leaves a void in our classrooms and our hearts that cannot be filled. Following Jay’s long, brave battle, we are now coming together as a community to carry that light forward to support others.

Our Mission

In honor of Jay’s legacy of kindness and his own brave battle with mental health, we are coming together as a community to raise vital funds through two main events:

The Flagship School Walks for 100:

Our staff and students are accumulating a combined target of 100 miles to symbolise the journey of support we take together, recognising that difficulties and challenges can be overcome if we all work as one.

Towards the end of this term, The Flagship School will be 'Walking for Jay', the students at the school asked for this challenge themselves so they can have their say and their involvement in doing something for 'their Art Teacher'.

The ‘Press Up - Speak Up’ Challenge:

A community press-up challenge in partnership with Carl Denne, which will take place at Hastings Kickboxing Academy (HKA) pushing our physical limits to break the silence surrounding mental health. A group target of 10,000 push-ups will be set for anyone and everyone who would like to come along in support of Jay’s Memory.

Where Your Donations Go

We want to support those Jay loved, as well as the cause he fought for. All funds raised through this page will be split equally (50/50) between two causes:

Jay’s Family: To provide direct support for funeral arrangements and aftercare during this unimaginably difficult time.

Out of the Blue: A brilliant Hastings-based charity dedicated to supporting mental health and suicide prevention within our local East Sussex community.

Jay believed in the best of us. Now, we are asking our community to show the best of themselves. Whether you can donate £5, £50 or £500, every penny helps us honor a man who gave so much light to others.

Thank you for helping us keep Jay's light shining.