A Tadley teenager organised a fundraising tournament in memory of his much-loved grandfather.
Ethan Saunders, 14, set up the event at Aldermaston Recreation Society to raise funds for the Basingstoke Kidney Dialysis Centre in tribute to his late grandfather, Brian Saunders, who died in July 2025 following a battle with chronic kidney disease.
Mr Saunders spent 17 months receiving dialysis treatment, first in Portsmouth and later in Basingstoke after space became available at the centre.
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Ethan said: "It was through my dad that I started playing darts, we got a dartboard at Christmas and just started throwing."
The teenager hoped the tournament would raise around £300 through entry fees and donations, with all proceeds going directly to the centre.
The event was supported by family, friends, and members of the community, including several of Ethan’s friends.
Richard Saunders, Ethan’s father, and son of the late Mr Saunders, said: "It's just basically Ethan really.
"He decided to do a tournament in memory of my dad.
"We lost him last year and he just said, 'Can we do a tournament?' and it just went from there."
Mr Saunders said: "It's not an easy thing to do to support someone when their dad's dying.
"The care he had in the hospital, I couldn't fault it.
Brian’s widow, Pauline, said he spent 17 months on dialysis, and she hopes the dialysis unit would benefit from the extra funds, particularly for patient comforts.
She added: "I don't think the diabetes unit get much. They get everything they need for the patients, but I don't think they get little bits such as biscuits or buy cake for the patients. That's what they need, the patients, because when you're on dialysis for three or four hours a time, they've got to have something to help them along."
Ethan’s mum Kayleigh Reynolds said she was “very proud” of her son for organising the darts tournament.
She said Ethan had only been playing for just over a year but had found something he loved and was good at, having already recorded his first 180.
Brian, former HGV driver, was extremely close to his grandchildren, with Ethan spending time “tinkering about in the shed” with him and enjoying family holidays to Cornwall.
Kayleigh said the tournament was about giving something back while bringing the community together and remembering Brian.
The event was organised with help from Ethan’s parents and supported by friends, family, and members of the Tadley community.
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