Matilda's legacy for less litter: Yorkshire family channel grief to help environment

A Yorkshire family has vowed to raise as much money as possible for their 11-year-old daughter’s legacy for less litter.

On April 3 this year, Matilda Pritchard, from Pudsey in Leeds, sadly and unexpectedly died, leaving parents Anna and Steve “devastated and heartbroken” with many unanswered questions.

Matilda had an undiagnosed heart condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) which affects 1 in 1,000 people, a condition which Matilda showed no symptoms of having until she tragically died in her sleep.

Steve, 43, said: “The best way to describe grief, especially in the early stages, is that it comes in waves, sometimes the tide is out and the sun is shining, then other days the waves crash over you.

“Coping with grief is, for us, about coping with the good and bad times together as a family.”

As a way to channel their grief and to celebrate her life and her passions, Steve and Anna, 40, launched a fundraising campaign to raise money for an issue she was passionate about - litter.