THE brother of a former Essex cricketer who was stabbed to death has set up a foundation in his sister’s name.
James O’Malley-Kumar, 17, started a funding campaign on the online fundraising platform GoFundMe a week after his sister Grace was stabbed with a dagger in Nottingham in June last year.
Following the generosity of friends, family, and strangers who donated more than £50,000, James has now established the Grace O’Malley-Kumar Foundation which he hopes to be able to use as a springboard to reduce knife crime across the UK.
Alex Simpson, a lifelong friend of the Grace, is helping James with the project.
The 19-year-old said: “James wanted to bring light to such a terrible situation and we really want to give the love Grace would’ve given to the world through the foundation.
“She really wanted to be a doctor and she always put others before herself.”
He explained the foundation aims to tackle knife crime by lobbying the government and getting into schools to speak to students about the “disruptive nature” of carrying a knife.
Grace played cricket for Essex as a child and teenager between 2015 and 2019 and captained the team during her time at the club.
As part of the foundation, her brother and friend hope to keep her love of sport alive by emphasising the importance of inclusion.
“Speaking to all of her teammates, Grace was always there for them on and off the pitch,” Alex said.
“We want to make sure no-one’s lonely or left out and that everyone is enjoying themselves.”
Fundraisers are preparing to take part in a motorcycle ride from Essex to Nottingham and a hockey tournament, which are both scheduled for May this year.
Last month, Grace’s killer Valdo Calocane was given a hospital order for manslaughter by diminished responsibility after the Nottingham Crown Court heard he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
The 32-year-old also killed Grace’s friend Barnaby Webber, 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, in the early hours of June 13.
Judge Mr Justice Turner said Calocane will “very probably” be detained in a high-security hospital for the rest of his life as he sentenced him for the “atrocious” killings, as well as the attempted murder of three other people.
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