Son of murdered soldier Lee Rigby raises over £40k for forces charity

The son of murdered soldier Lee Rigby has fundraised over £40,000 for an armed forces charity.

Jack Rigby, 12, was just two years old when his father was murdered by Islamist extremists outside Woolwich Barracks, London, in 2013.

Jack, who now lives in Halifax, Yorkshire, is raising money for the Scotty’s Little Soldiers charity to mark the 10th anniversary of his father’s death, on May 22nd. The determined young boy has run a total of 26.2 miles this month.

Jack has already beaten his set target of £10,000 for running in the Scotty’s May Marathon, which he said aimed ‘to raise £1,000 for every year my dad has been gone’.

The youngster was supported by the tri-service Scotty’s Little Soldiers charity, which specialises in helping children and young people aged up to 25 who are grieving the death of a parent who served in the British armed forces.

His father Lee, a 25-year-old fusilier from Middleton, in Manchester, died as a result of multiple stab wounds following the 2013 attack in South East London.

The young dad was returning to his army barracks when he was attacked by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.

The men — who were Muslim converts — drove at him in a car before continuing to attack him. Adebolajo was given a whole-life term and Adebowale was jailed for a minimum of 45 years.

In a video thanking those who had donated to the fundraiser, Jack’s mother, Rebecca, 40, said: “The amount that’s been raised so far is absolutely phenomenal.

“I am immensely proud of Jack for everything he is doing to raise funds and awareness for Scotty’s — and to do something positive in Lee’s name.

“May’s not an easy time for us and doing this is really helping Jack to get through this difficult period, so thank you.”

On his fundraising page, Jack wrote: “My dad Fusilier Lee Rigby was murdered on May 22nd 2013 when I was only two and a half years old.

“This year marks the 10-year anniversary. It’s never easy, but this year feels even harder for some reason. My mom registered me with Scotty’s in 2013 and I have been a proud member ever since.”

He added that he now wanted to be able to ‘give something back’, saying: “With your help donating, we can help Scotty’s to continue supporting hundreds of bereaved military children just like me.”