Harrison Bretherton was a much-loved and adored Son, Brother and life companion to many, perhaps none more so than my younger sister Anya, from whom he was inseparable for the last year of his life. From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed to me that between them, the perfect match did indeed exist.

Harrison was and still is one of five children, to the most wonderful parents. He was and will forever be cherished immensely by his parents Bryan and Kerry, as well as being a much-loved brother to Nicoll, Trafford, twin brother James, and Byron. That cannot, and will never change.

With his ability to raise anyone’s spirits, having Harrison in your life for only the shortest span of time made it infinitely better. Alongside Anya, Harrison was always out enjoying life with his twin brother James and their large circle of friends. On the 14/09/2023 Harrison, James, and Anya were out having fun at the local pub quiz, as they did every Wednesday night. On their journey home, Harrison, James, and Anya were passengers in a car which was involved in a crash. James and Anya also suffered serious injuries but were able to recover. Tragically, Harrison sustained catastrophic injuries which would cost him his life the following day. Harrison was surrounded by all his family and friends that day; all the people who adored him were by his side until the very end. To this day he remains by all of our sides, and I still look to him for spiritual guidance along my journey.

In recent weeks, the driver of the car during the crash has received what I considered to be a shockingly lenient sentence, and will likely serve around one year in prison. In an effort to try to make a positive difference, when people from other branches of my firm suggested doing the iconic Yorkshire Dales Three Peaks Challenge, doing it in Harrison’s memory seemed like the perfect thing to do. I will be doing this on 31 May 2025.

The charity I have chosen, at the suggestion of Harrison’s family, is The Fire Fighters Charity. When the accident happened on 14/09/2023 the fire service were one of the first emergency service teams on scene. Due to their expertise skill and quick work, they were able to free Harrison from the wreckage which then allowed the paramedics to treat Harrison and get him on a ventilator. This allowed his family and Harrison’s closest friends to say goodbye properly to him. As the son a retired firefighter who served 30 years of service in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Lancashire, I have long been aware of what sterling work the Fire Service provide, and we will all be forever thankful to them.