Friends of William Ray and Eddie Shore, who died in a collision on the A17 near North Rauceby, to take on Will Ray Memorial Sevens Tournament at Sleaford Rugby Club to raise money for the Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance

Grieving friends have banded together to remember two of their mates whose lives were cut tragically short, while raising money in their names.

William Ray, 17, and 18-year-old Eddie Shore died after the Ford Fiesta they were in was involved in a collision with an Audi A2 car on the A17 near North Rauceby, on June 20 last year.

Two other passengers in the car suffered serious injuries.

A 35-year-old woman Natasha Allarakhia, has appeared in court charged with two offences of causing death by dangerous driving and one offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

And now, a group of friends from the Newark area have come together to form a Rugby Sevens team — Will & Eddie’s Bulldogs — and entered the Will Ray Memorial Sevens Tournament, aiming to raise money for the Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.

The tournament will be held on June 21 at Sleaford Rugby Club, and will feature a mini and tag rugby game, as well as inflatables, and outdoor bar, food and ice cream, and more.

Alongside their participation in the tournament, the lads are undertaking a series of unique and challenging fundraising efforts in the run-up to the event, taking place on the weekend of the anniversary of Will and Eddie’s death.

These challenges include one student running 365km between now and June 20, another lifting a total of 365,000kg in the gym over the same period, a group hiking Mt Snowdon, and two lads attempting to consume 20,000 calories in 24 hours.

The lads have launched a GoFundMe campaign, and have already raised over £800. You can view the fundraising page at https://gofund.me/3bc60126

“Each effort reflects the spirit of our friendship group and our desire to do something meaningful to keep Will and Eddie’s memory alive,” team spokesman Josiah Waqalevu said, “We believe this could help inspire others, raise awareness of the vital work the Air Ambulance service does, and encourage further donations.”