Remembering Ryan with Goodie Fest
Abigail Birtles, Charlotte Templeman and Kieron Parry organise GoodieFest in memory of Ryan Goodman.
In July, friends and family of Ryan Goodman came together in his hometown of Clifton-upon-Dunsmore in Rugby to remember him with Goodie Fest.
With over 350 people attending, there was tremendous local support for the event which raised over £3,000. The festival took place at a local pub; The Bull Inn, with performances from three bands, a BBQ, a raffle with over 200 donated prizes and a DJ to finish the evening.
Ryan’s friends Abigail Birtles, Kieron Parry and his sister Charlotte Templeman were at the helm of the festival which was organised in as little as six weeks. Abigail said: “It was his anniversary, so we knew we wanted to do something to raise money, but also distract everyone a little bit in a nice way. It was an amazing day considering the circumstances. It was nice to just share memories with his parents that they didn’t know.”
Ryan passed away due to SUDEP in July 2024 at just 28 years old. He had spent much of the previous five years living in Australia. He was known to be incredibly popular with hundreds of people attending his funeral. Abigail said: “He was great. He was lovely, I often find myself laughing at memories with him. He was very good fun. He certainly lived life to the full. And I think it has inspired a lot of people to do the same. He’s left a massive impact on a lot of us.”
Ryan’s friends and family have also supported SUDEP Action with a football fundraiser in Australia that raised over £2,000. Charlotte and Kieron as well as Ryan’s Dad; Dave Goodman took part in the Great North Run, raising a further £3,000.
On thinking about how others could get involved in fundraising, Abigail said: “I think make the fundraiser something that the person you’re doing it in memory of would want to see or do or take part in. Ryan was so sociable. I think that makes it more motivating and meaningful. And on the day we had this sense that Ryan would have loved this. This is exactly what he would have wanted.”
If you would like to fundraise for SUDEP Action then you can learn more here or contact our Fundraising team directly at [email protected].
