IT HAS been nearly two years since Steve Rayner died – but his memory lives on.

July 4 marks the second anniversary of the motorcycle accident near Alresford that killed the Winchester Engineer.

Following his death, his wife Marie and his daughters, Charlotte and Cerys, started fundraising.

The Steve Rayner Memorial Fund for Sport (Steve’s Team) has so far raised more than £10,000 to encourage young people to get involved in sport to support their physical and mental wellbeing.

Marie Rayner said: "Steve was 53 when he was killed on the way to work. He had a family he adored, a career he was passionate about and a million plans for the future.

"There is no way to make sense of what happened, but the creation of the Steve Rayner Memorial Fund for Sport is one of positive ways we are determined to honour him going forwards. Sport, along with education, was Steve’s route to a better, more fulfilling life.

“Steve was a strong believer in the clear links between physical and mental health and there has never been a more important time to ensure that there are opportunities in the community for young people."

Just before the lockdown, Steve’s Team worked with the Westgate School to launch the Talented Athlete Programme involving Year 11 students.

The launch involved presentations from Saracens and England rugby players Poppy and Bryony Cleall.

British and Commonwealth record-holding swimmer, Imogen Clark also spoke and members visited the sport science department at Winchester University.

Claire Fyvie-Rae of Westgate School said: "For many years, our school has had a number of talented athletes who commit a substantial amount of time to their sport, training and travelling to competitions in the UK and beyond. The pupils have to juggle their time carefully in order to maintain their academic progress, but also continue to excel in their sport.

“Around GCSE time this can become particularly difficult and this led us to think about what the school can do to support these pupils. We were delighted to be able to launch this programme in collaboration with Steve’s Team, a charity very close to our hearts.”