Powerful warning following teenage son’s drugs death

Grieving mum describes impact of losing Will

T e e n a g e rs ar e h e a r i n g heart-rending stories from the families of young people who have died after taking drugs. It is part of a hard-hitting campaign which Herne Bay mum Kim Webster has given her voice to following the death of her 17-year-old son, Will Horley. The Canterbury College student died after an accidental overdose of the painkiller Tramadol while working at the Lobster Shack in Whitstable in 2018. The 6ft 6in amateur boxer had hoped to the join the army and his death devastated his family. Now, mum Kim has contributed to a powerful film produced by The Kenward Trust, a charity which educates young people about the risks of drug and alcohol misuse.

To warn others, she has been telling Will’s tragic story and its impact on loved ones. “They think they know what they’re taking, they think they’re grown up enough to know, and they take it because their friends are doing it, “she says. “You don’t want to think about your mum when you’re out having fun but it’s your mum and dad that will miss you the most.

“You never move on. It’s something you wake up to every morning and it’s the last thing you think about every night.” The Kenward Trust has also been working Rachael Kinghorn from Ashford, whose 15-yearold-son Owen was found dead in a field last September after taking a lethal dose of MDMA. The trust has been providing support to those affected by alcohol and drug addictions for more than 50 years.

The project, which first started in 2016, helps young people make informed choices when they encounter substances. Now working with the KM Media Group, it hopes the video, which is being shown in schools, will reach as many people aged 11 to 18 in the county as possible. The film will be accompanied by three lesson plans, power points, handouts and activities. It is available for free to schools and colleges and funded by the Kent-based Colyer-ferguson Charitable Trust.

For more information, call 01622 814187 or visit www.thinkdifferentlykent.co.uk/resources.

‘It’s something you wake up to every morning and it’s the last thing you think about every night’

Will Horley with his mum, Kim Webster