Road Victim Support Healing Steps Youth Programme

Aim: In Memory of Ronan Wilson- Helping young people heal through being active, supporting mental health, grief resilience, and wellbeing

🌟 In Memory of Ronan Wilson – Turning Heartbreak into Hope 🌟

On the 23rd of September 2023, our community lost a very special boy. Ronan Wilson, just 9 years old, from Kildress, County Tyrone, tragically lost his life after being struck by a car in Bundoran, County Donegal.

Ronan was full of life – a bright, fun-loving child who loved nothing more than playing football, spending time with friends, and being part of the sports community. His energy, laughter, and passion for the game touched everyone who knew him.

That vibrant little boy is no longer with us, and the pain of his loss is felt deeply by his family, friends, and the entire Cookstown sports community.

Ronan’s parents, Dean and Emma have always been actively involved in local sports in their community, Cookstown and Co Tyrone giving their time and energy to support young people in sport. 

They are now helping to build opportunities for children and young people by organising a community tournament in Ronans memory on the 8th August. In Ronan’s memory, they are determined to give something back – to create hope and healing for other young people who may be struggling with grief and loss – to ensure they have the emotional support and resilience to cope, and a safe space to heal.

That’s why we are launching this Crowdfunder in support of Healing Steps: Supporting Young People – a new programme by Road Victim Support Northern Ireland Donegal. This initiative will use sport and physical activity, combined with age-appropriate emotional support, to help children and young people rebuild their confidence and wellbeing after loss.

Who are Road Victim Support Northern Ireland Donegal (RVSNID)

Road Victim Support Northern Ireland Donegal (RVSNID) is a family focused constituted group dedicated to providing practical and emotional support to individuals and families affected by fatal road traffic collisions across Northern Ireland, and boarding counties into Donegal. We are a group of Volunteers, all coming from lived experience who offers a range of services, including counselling, advocacy, and legal guidance, helping families navigate the aftermath of such traumatic incidents. RVSNID works closely with law enforcement, medical services, and community organisations to ensure Families receive comprehensive care and assistance.

At Road Victim Support Northern Ireland-Donegal, our mission is to provide compassionate, practical, and emotional support to individuals and families affected by road traffic collisions. We are dedicated to ensuring that no one faces the aftermath of road tragedy alone, offering a safe space for healing, advocacy, and community connection. Through lived experience, professional guidance, and peer support, we strive to bring comfort, understanding, and hope to those navigating grief and recover.

Our mission is:

At Road Victim Support Northern Ireland-Donegal, our mission is to provide compassionate, practical, and emotional support to individuals and families affected by road traffic collisions. We are dedicated to ensuring that no one faces the aftermath of road tragedy alone, offering a safe space for healing, advocacy, and community connection. Through lived experience, professional guidance, and peer support, we strive to bring comfort, understanding, and hope to those navigating grief and recover. 

Our aims and objectives are:

1. Provide Emotional & Practical Support – Offer immediate and ongoing support to those impacted by road traffic collisions helping them navigate grief, trauma, and practical challenges. 

2. Build a Supportive Community – Create peer-led groups where those affected can connect, share experiences, and find comfort in a network of understanding individuals. 

3. Advocate for Road Safety & Victim Rights – Raise awareness of road safety issues, work with authorities to improve policies, and ensure that victims and their families have a voice in decision-making processes. 

4. Offer Specialist Counselling & Resources – Provide access to trauma-informed counselling and bereavement support services tailored to the unique needs of road victims and their families. 

5. Expand Local Outreach & Accessibility – Establish a strong presence in every community across Northern Ireland and Donegal, ensuring that support is available to all who need it, regardless of location. 

6. Promote Healing Through Lived Experience – Ensure that our services are led by those who have first-hand experience of road loss, offering genuine empathy and guidance. 

7. Empower Individuals & Families – Equip those affected with the knowledge, resources, and confidence to rebuild their lives after tragedy. 

8. Foster Awareness & Prevention – Educate the public on the human impact of road tragedies and supporting initiatives that promote responsible driving and safer roads.

Why are we crowdfunding?

In memory of Ronan Wilson we are crowdfunding to launch Healing Steps: Supporting Young People, a vital programme that creates new opportunities for young people by using sport as a powerful tool for emotional healing and personal growth. Starting this summer, we aim to provide age-appropriate emotional support to 20+ young people aged 10 and over who have experienced loss or bereavement.

Through sport and physical activity over 16 weeks, we will create a safe, inclusive environment where young people can build resilience, improve their mental health, and feel empowered to move forward. Our programme includes football, multi-sports, walking, jogging, yoga, and more, all designed to increase participation, promote wellbeing, and support long-term engagement with physical activity for better mental health.

Crowdfunding allows us to involve the community in this important mission and unlock match funding of up to £5,000 from Sport NI. Every donation helps us deliver over 16 weeks of structured sport and wellbeing sessions to more than 20 young people, at no cost to their families.

By investing in Healing Steps, you're not just donating to a programme—you’re creating real opportunities for young people to grow, connect, and thrive through sport. Together, we can support healthier futures and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those navigating grief.

Our Healing Steps programme directly supports Sport NI’s goal to enable more young people to take part in sport and physical activity. By engaging young people through a range of multi-sport activities like football, walking, jogging, and yoga we’re creating inclusive, welcoming spaces where participants can connect with one another while building their health, resilience, and confidence.

We’re also committed to levelling the playing field, a key priority for Sport NI. Our programme is designed to support children and young people who have experienced bereavement- an often overlooked group facing deep emotional and social challenges. 

We provide a trauma-informed, supportive environment where they feel safe and empowered to engage in physical activity, often for the first time since their loss. By doing so, we remove barriers and make sport more accessible to those who need it most.

Healing Steps is a brand-new initiative, not a continuation of what we’ve done before. It brings together emotional healing and physical activity in a unique, therapeutic way. This fresh, responsive model helps young people build connections, find joy in movement, and develop coping strategies through sport.

We believe this innovative approach also strengthens the wider sporting community by encouraging new ways of engaging participants and placing wellbeing at the heart of sport.

All funds raised will go back into the local Cookstown and wider community, creating a legacy for Ronan that promotes hope, healing, and connection.

How we’ll spend the money raised

All funds raised will go towards the following:

- Sessional Coaches/Instructors: Qualified coaches for football, multi-sports, yoga, and walking sessions (2 sessions per week for 16 weeks (£35 per hour x 100 hours total)= £3,500.

- Youth Mental Health & Grief Support Facilitator: Specialist to lead emotional support sessions, resilience workshops and specific "sport for improved mental health" sessions (1 session per week over 16 weeks @ £200 per session)= £3,200.

- 16 weeks facility hire (100 hours @ £30 hour)= Indoor and outdoor spaces for sporting and wellbeing sessions £3,000.

- Promotional Materials & Outreach: Flyers, social media promotion, community engagement £300

Community impact

Our organisation makes a lasting impact on individuals and the wider community across Northern Ireland and border counties such as Donegal by offering crucial support following road traffic collisions. We help victims, bereaved families, witnesses, and first responders manage trauma, grief, and life-changing loss,often when no other support exists. 

Our work reduces isolation, improves mental wellbeing, and helps people rebuild their lives with dignity and strength. We also deliver road safety education in schools and community settings, helping to prevent future tragedies and raise awareness among young people and families. 

Our presence in the community creates a trusted support network that bridges emotional care, practical help, and education. Through partnerships with local agencies, we ensure joined-up care and early intervention. The ripple effect of our work can be seen in stronger mental health, safer roads, better-informed communities, and a compassionate response to road tragedies- building resilience not just in individuals, but across Northern Ireland and the border region with Donegal.

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 14th August 2025 at 4:37pm