Sheffield darts player, 13, hosts charity tournament in friend’s memory
“It is a way of remembering and honouring Jude”
A 13-year-old darts player has hosted his own darts tournament for a charity which he described as “a great charity close to mine and my family’s heart”.
Jude Myers, affectionately known as “Big Jude”, organised the tournament at the Princess Royal at Woodhouse Mill, in support of Jude and the Book Factory.
Jude and the Book Factory was set up in memory of Jude’s good friend, Jude Mellon-Jameson, who passed away in September 2023 aged just five years old, after receiving two years of treatment for High Risk Neuroblastoma, a type of cancer.
Big Jude described the tournament as being “all about enjoyment for children and adults, but the main aim was to raise as much as we can”.
Alongside the tournament, Jude had planned a raffle, guessing games, and a lucky dip. The event raised £711.26 in total for the charity.
Lucy Mellon-Jameson, chair of Jude and the Book Factory and mum of “Little Jude”, said: “We know Jude’s death was hard for lots of people and for some of the younger ones he was the first person they knew to die.
“They’ve navigated their grief as individuals and collectively. Big Jude’s challenge is part of that grief journey - it is a way of remembering and honouring Jude. We are thrilled that it was a success and that it’s allowed Jude to play his own part in the charity.”
Jude and the Book Factory was set up in memory of Lucy’s son, who loved the escapism of books, and works to share new books with hospitals, hospices, and families.
They also fund creative workshops and help make special memories through goody bags, gifts and experiences for children affected by childhood cancer.
To date, the charity has donated over 9,000 brand new books and funded creative workshop places for more than 120 children.
The money Jude has helped to raise will go towards creating more special moments for young people with cancer.
Jude has already asked about doing the tournament again next year, adding: “Hopefully we can do it again sometime.”