A family who have raised more than £15,000 for charity in the seven years since their son’s untimely death are holding their final event to mark what would have been his 40th birthday.

David ‘Flash’ Jay, of Westbury Road, Ipswich, tragically died in November 2008 at the age of 33 of a brain haemorrhage in a hotel room in Manchester after going to see an Ipswich Town Football Club away match.

Since then his mum, Rosie, and dad, Jake, have organised a friendly football match involving David’s friends every year and raised thousands of pounds for different charities.

This year the match will be between the Brickies Old Boys and Lions Head/Heathlands on July 25 at Foxhall Community Centre kicking off at 2pm, raising for Woolverstone Wish.

Then on July 31, people are invited back to the venue for Flash’s 40th Birthday Bash, which will feature a UB40 tribute band and disco.

“We have done it for seven years now and we just feel that all the boys are getting a bit too old to play,” Rosie said. “We have raised a lot of money for charity and because it’s his 40th I think it’s time to say enough is enough.”

The former Copleston High School pupil was an avid Ipswich Town fan and had often travelled abroad to watch matches with his Town flag.

David was the eldest of three children - Katie and Matthew - and since his death he has gained a nephew, Nathan, who is now 18 months old and has taken David as his middle name in his uncle’s memory. Rosie, 60, said David was still fondly remembered by his 10-year-old niece Megan, who was just four when he died.

“It’s still difficult and the pain doesn’t go away but you learn to live with it and the fundraising has helped,” she added.

Rosie expressed her thanks to everyone who had supported them since David’s death.

To attend the birthday bash call 07789483215 or 07710638736.