Village fun day near Banbury renamed to honour the memory of local boy who tragically died
Bloxham Family Fun Day has been renamed as Matty’s Family Fun Day to honour the memory of local boy Matthew Cowley, who tragically passed away at age 13.
The event, which takes place next month (Saturday, June 21), will feature live music, fairground rides, and several food and drink vendors.
Alongside this, there will be craft stalls, a dog show, dance performances and a climbing wall, with all proceeds going towards next year’s event and the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) charity, which supported Matthew’s family after his death in November 2023.
Healthy and active, Matthew sadly passed away in his sleep after going to bed as normal one Sunday evening.
Matthew’s heartbroken family were left with no answers as to why he had died, and his cause of death was marked as sudden and unexpected.
According to the Office of National Statistics, around 40 children in England and Wales are affected by this unpredictable and unpreventable cause of death each year.
The death of the popular Warriner School student touched many in the Bloxham and Banbury communities, with hundreds attending Matthew’s funeral.
Since the tragedy, Matthew’s mother, Samantha, has made it her mission to raise as much money and awareness for unexplained deaths in children.
Samantha, with the help of her friends, has raised thousands of pounds for SUDC UK by holding football tournaments, quiz nights and glamorous balls.
She has also visited Parliament to raise awareness and help launch SUDC Awareness Day in Parliament, which is marked on March 18).
Next month’s free-to-attend family fun day will take place at Bloxham’s Jubilee Park from 12pm until 6pm.