Family of Derbyshire medical student stabbed to death in Borneo to hold charity event in his memory

Neil Dalton, a medical student from Ambergate, was on a placement in Borneo in 2014 when he was stabbed to death in a brutal attack.

Eight years on, Neil’s friends and family are coming together to hold their annual charity day and celebrate Neil’s life.

Neil’s Day will take place at the Packhorse Ground in Alderwasley from 10am-9pm on Sunday, August 28.

There will be a round-robin cricket tournament between local teams, with Neil’s friends from the University of Newcastle – where he studied before his death – travelling from across the country to compete. Neil himself was a keen cricketer, playing locally for numerous Belper teams.

The Black Swan in Belper will be serving up fresh food and drinks throughout the day. There will also be a number of activities, with a live DJ, cake stalls and many other mini-competitions for people to take part in.

Neil’s family and friends are once again supporting Anthony Nolan – a charity that was close to his heart – having raised £35,000 since the event was founded. The charity specialises in saving the lives of people with blood cancers such as leukaemia, by matching them to people willing to donate their bone marrow or blood stem cells for lifesaving transplants.

Neil was on the stem cell register himself, and completed a coast-to-coast cycle challenge from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay to raise all-important donations.

Oliver Deeming, one of Neil’s closest friends and teammates, has helped organise the yearly events. He said: “I’m extremely proud of what we’ve been able to achieve collectively since we lost Neil eight years ago. This year’s Neil’s Day is packed full of action and should have something for everyone.

“I’m always taken aback by the generosity of people and local businesses willing to donate raffle prizes or simply their time – we couldn’t do it without everyone pulling together and using their skills. We know that the day has a huge impact for Anthony Nolan, which is Neil’s legacy and our way of remembering Neil in such a positive light.

“If you ask anyone who knew Neil, they will tell you he was the most polite, kindest and most generous person you’d meet, which is easy to say – but I believe this is exemplified in the work he started for charity and general impact he had on others around him.”

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Gemma Parker, senior community fundraising manager at Anthony Nolan, said: “"We’re incredibly grateful for the support of everyone involved in Neil’s Day. The money raised in loving memory of Neil is making a huge difference to people with blood cancer.

“It costs £40 to recruit each person to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register, so fundraising is a vital part of our lifesaving work. Neil’s Day has raised enough to fund over 890 new potential donors on our stem cell register."

If local businesses or individuals want to get involved or donate to the raffle, Oliver can be contacted on 07723396275 or at [email protected]. Donations can be made via the JustGiving page here.