MORE than £50,000 has been raised to honour the life and memory of a young Thurrock man who was murdered at university.

18-year-old Henry Nowak, from Chafford Hundred was fatally attacked in Southampton last December on a night out with friends.

Later this year he will be remembered at with a celebrity football match in his name to be held at Aveley FC, raising money for the '2 Wish' charity that helps families affected by sudden death in young people.

Following the success of a charity football match in Southampton between the two teams university student Henry played for - Villarrealgorithm CF and Southampton University Football Club – the celebrity game will be held closer to home thanks to work behind the scenes from family and friends.

The game at Aveley Football Club on Saturday July 11 will feature celebrities including former West Ham and Liverpool footballer Paul Konchesky, television personality Calum Best and famous faces from Love Island and Married at First Sight.

Henry's mum, Lucy Ross, said: "The atmosphere in Southampton was wonderful, but we couldn't get a big crowd to go because of how far away it was so we wanted to do something closer to home."

She said Henry loved football and basketball, and that some of her happiest memories of her son were through sport, making the celebrity match a fitting tribute.

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Already the fundraising page for the match has raised more than £52,000 has been donated so far to support 2 Wish, a charity which helps families affected by sudden death in young people.

Lucy said she has received lot of support from her close friend Kelly Hatchard and others, including Aveley FC and Soccer Aid.

The match will be close to the 21^st birthday of Henry's sister Olivia Nowak.

Lucy added: "There is not much to celebrate any more, but my daughter's birthday is on July 7 so we wanted to time it around the same time. I wish I wasn't doing it, it is all for the wrong reasons.

"But it will bring everyone together and make sure we keep Henry's memory alive."

The celebrity game will follow a 'dads versus lads' game, kicking off at 1pm.