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Search forMemorial fund hits its target of £20k
Monday, November 24, 2008, 07:58
But friends of Swansea University graduate Michael Blakey say a charity set up in his name has achieved its first target towards helping the homeless children he had been working with.
Mr Blakey (pictured) was aged just 23 when his body was discovered at the end of November 2006 under a pile of stones in the town of Dharamsala, close to a church where he worshipped.
He had been working with Tibetan refugees for charity Tong-Len, and had been due to return to the UK just days after his death to spend the Christmas holidays with friends in Swansea.
Originally from Burnley, he had lived in Swansea for five years after enrolling at the city's university.
But his body was discovered after he failed to turn up for work. A post mortem revealed he had died from neck and brain injuries caused by a blunt object.
Despite pressure from the British Government, the investigation appears to have stalled. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "There has been no breakthrough, but the Indian authorities continue to investigate his death."
Following his death, friends and family set up the Michael Blakey Memorial Fund, to build a hostel for the homeless Tibetan children in Dharamsala.
Having reached its first target of £20,000, charity trustees, which include Michael's parents, Paul and Mary, bought the plot of land in Dharamsala on what would have been his 25th birthday.
Tong-Len is continuing its fund-raising for the first phase of building of a hostel which will house up to 60 children.
Anna Owen, director of Tong-Len UK, said: "We are hoping to begin building in January, but we need to raise more money.
"I remember standing on the piece of land with Michael talking about what we wanted to do with it.
"I hope that if there is any awareness after death he is continuing to watch what are doing and can see the progress."
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