Please help me give Alex the send off he deserves.

I never thought I would ever have to set up a page like this, but after losing my son Alex so suddenly at just 24 years old, our family has been left completely devastated.

Many of you may already have seen the heartbreaking news about Alex Ayre, badge 0446. Alex sadly passed away at just 24 years old after struggling deeply with his mental health in ways many of us did not fully realise. I don’t want to go into the circumstances of his death, particularly out of respect for Alex and the younger members of our family, but I do want to acknowledge that his passing was sudden and devastating.

What I want people to remember most is Alex himself - not the way he died.

Alex was incredibly loved by so many people - family, friends, childhood friends, colleagues and people whose lives he crossed along the way. The amount of love, messages and support we have already seen has shown us just how much he meant to everyone.

He was a much loved son, grandson, big brother, little brother, nephew, cousin and best friend. He was handsome, charming, cheeky, caring and the life and soul of the party. He had a way of making people laugh, making people feel included, and being there for others when they needed him.

Because Alex had such a huge circle of people who cared about him, we know his funeral and celebration of life is likely to be much larger than a typical service. It is really important to me that everyone who loved him and wants the chance to say goodbye is able to do so, without anyone feeling left out because there simply wasn’t enough space.

I want to give Alex the very best send off I possibly can - one that reflects the person he was, how loved he was, and the impact he had on so many people.

I have set a target of £10,000 to help towards Alex’s funeral and memorial costs, as well as to give our family some breathing space in the weeks ahead while we take time away from work, support one another and deal with everything that now needs arranging.

I work as an Ambulance Care Assistant, and understandably I need some time to grieve my son and be with my family. We also have the usual household commitments and expenses that don’t stop just because everything else has.

I genuinely hate having to ask for help, and there is absolutely no expectation for anyone to donate. But if you are able to contribute, no matter how small, it would help take some of the pressure away and allow us to focus on Alex and on getting through these incredibly difficult weeks together.

If you’re not in a position to donate, simply sharing this page would mean so much to me and my family too.

I am incredibly grateful for all the love, messages and support already shown to Alex and to all of us. It means more than I can ever properly put into words.

I just want to give my boy the goodbye he truly deserves, surrounded by all the people whose lives he was such a huge part of, while giving our family the space to grieve without the added worry of how everything will be managed financially.

Thank you so much for reading, donating or sharing. ❤️

Forever 24

Leah xx