A GRANDMOTHER who campaigns in memory of her grandson who was fatally stabbed has been recognised with a Pride of Britain Award.

Julie Taylor, from Maldon, who runs the café in St Peter’s Hospital, has funded lifesaving first aid kits outside more than 100 venues in Essex and London.

After the tragic loss of her grandson, Liam Taylor, who was fatally stabbed outside the Rose and Crown pub in Writtle in 2020, Julie has worked to fight knife crime.

She has raised £20,000 to fund the cost of the lifesaving kits and defibrillators for multiple venues.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

She hopes to prevent others from feeling the pain of losing a loved one the way she and her family have.

Now, being named the Pride of Britain fundraiser of the year for the East of the Anglia region, she said: “I never ever thought I’d win it, it was the last thing I expected.

“I was presented with the award in the café and at the awards I felt really special, like a superstar.

“Having to choose hair, makeup and an outfit was crazy.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it was a really good evening.

“The downside is that I never would have been voted if my grandson wasn’t murdered.

“We're 15 months in and we’ve raised £20,000 now.”

Alongside raising money for the life-saving bags, Julie is aiming to gather donations for shoeboxes to help people in need in the area over Christmas.

Last year she donated 168 boxes to people struggling to afford food and more.

This year she hopes to donate even more.

She said: “We need Christmas presents for the kids and the elderly.

“We have pledged to do 200 shoeboxes that contain a meal and more.

“We gave 168 last year to go out in the community but it wasn’t enough.

“I am always looking for donations for our food bank at the café in the hospital.

“A member of staff will always take it in at the café.

“200 probably still won’t be enough, but it’s still 200 more than there would have been.

“Anything that people can donate would be amazing.”

Donations can be made to the café in St Peters Hospital in Maldon.