£361,000 donated in memory of MasterChef contestant Matt Campbell who died in London Marathon is a 'fitting legacy', his family say

Huge donations: Matt Campbell died during the London Marathon
Kiran Randhawa15 May 2018

The family of the Masterchef competitor who died during the London Marathon today spoke for the first time since his death saying they hope the money he raised will leave a “fitting legacy”.

Matt Campbell, a Masterchef semi-finalist, collapsed at the 22.5 mile mark during last month’s race.

The 29-year-old aimed to raise £2,500 for the Brathay Trust, to improve the life chances of children and young people. But the charity has received more than £362,000 in donations since he died.

His family, from Kendal in Cumbria, said Mr Campbell would have been “very proud” to see the impact the money will have on children’s lives.

His brother Joshua said: “I know the money is going to do a lot of good and will make a huge difference to lives.

“My dad was involved with the charity for a very long time and it’s close to our hearts. They came to us and said they want us to be involved in the decision-making.

“They want to work with us on ideas we have and we are working on what will be a fitting legacy to Matt. There are plenty of ideas but we need time to really think things through properly.”

Matt Campbell appearing on MasterChef last year
Shine TV/PA

The 26-year-old, who works in recruitment, added: “I haven’t had the time or the head space to comprehend it massively yet but I just know that he (Matt) would be dead proud to see the impact the money will make on lives, it’s what he wanted.”

Mr Campbell, who was a semi-finalist on BBC’s MasterChef: the Professionals last year, had been running in honour of his father Martin, who had worked with the Brathay Trust since 2008 and died 18 months ago.

The chef had also completed another marathon days before the London event on 22 April.

A “Finish for Matt” Facebook page was set up following his death, with thousands pledging to run the 3.7 miles he was unable to.

In London, hundreds set off from Shadwell, following the rest of the marathon course on the pavement, ending up at The Mall.

Godfrey Owen, chief executive of the Brathay Trust, said: “Matt was a radical, an innovator, he was passionate about veganism and healthy food, so we are starting to work on ideas using that legacy.

"Another strong idea is using the 3.7 miles he had left to run as a part of a fundraiser. We just really want to mark his contribution in some way.”

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