Hello 

Over the weekend, I was honoured to be invited to meet Jack Ryan's family and his girlfriend, as well as some of his closest friends.

Everyone had gathered in Battersea Park where earlier last week a Sweet Gum tree had been planted in Jack's memory and to mark what would have been his 30th birthday. Appropriately for a devoted Aston Villa fan, the leaves go claret when in bloom.

Also over the weekend, countless people took part in the two-day #MoveForJack campaign, which was initially started by Maria Jennings, one of Jack's colleagues at PwC. Numerous 'Ryano' Villa shirts were on display across the country as people took to bikes and jogging  trails and completed other exercise events in honour of Jack. So far, these activities have raised a staggering £33,164, which will be donated to the London Ambulance Service and the Aston Villa Foundation.  

A long line of clapping hands emojis from me to everyone who took part in this wonderful fundraiser. The amount of effort everyone put in was both touching and impressive. A real testament to how popular Jack was and how much he is missed. (RM/22/3/20)