Forget-me-not Families Uniting
A growing network of bereaved parents campaigning for change in memory of their children.
Forget-me-not Families Uniting is a growing campaign group of bereaved parents whose children were killed in crashes involving young, novice drivers.
Forget-me-not Families Uniting is a group of bereaved parents speaking out with one voice – calling for urgent action to reduce the unacceptably high number of young driver and passenger deaths on Britain’s roads.
Launched in April 2024 with the support of RoadPeace, Brake, and The Road Victims’ Trust, the group gained national attention through a powerful appearance on BBC Breakfast.
While some had campaigned individually for years, they recognised the power of unity. Together, they are turning personal grief into collective purpose - using their lived experience to push for meaningful change.
The group is calling for the urgent introduction of Graduated Driving Licensing (GDL) in Great Britain - a proven measure to reduce road deaths and serious injuries among young people.
New families continue to join, determined to help prevent others from suffering the same devastating loss.
Spotlight on the group's members
Dr Ian Greenwood
Ian’s 12-year-old daughter, Alice, was killed in 2008 when a car driven by a young speeding driver collided with the family’s vehicle.
Alice was killed and and her Mum, Juliette, and her younger sister, Clara, were both seriously injured in the collision in Derbyshire. The teenaged driver of the other car and his passenger were also killed.
Alice was fun, mischievous, inquisitive and full of life. She lit up every room she entered and left a lasting impression on everyone she met. Her death changed her family’s life forever, leaving permanent heartbreak.
Driven by a desire to understand the root causes of such tragedies and prevent further loss, Ian went on to complete a PhD focused on the political factors which influence road safety policy. He campaigns to stop all road death, and is a passionate advocate for stronger licensing in Britain to better support young drivers.
"When you discover there are proven interventions which could very well have saved Alice's life and many thousands of other people, the heartbreak of her death is worse. "Politicians make choices and my life's work is now to persuade politicians to stop road death - Dads are supposed to protect their daughters and I failed - so now I fight to stop other people having to endure road death."
Dr Ian Greenwood
Chris and Nicole Taylor
Chris and Nicole Taylor's 18-year-old daughter, Rebecca, was killed after she lost control of her car.
Chris and Nicole’s daughter, Rebecca, known to her family as Beccy, was killed in 2008 at the age of 18, close to where she lived in Northamptonshire. She had just dropped her sister off at school, when she lost control of her car after hitting a large pool of standing water, caused by a blocked roadside drain.
Her loss left a profound hole in her family’s life.
Since her death, Chris and Nicole have campaigned for road safety improvements and greater awareness of the risks faced by young drivers. They continue to support the call for Graduated Driving Licensing to protect other families from experiencing similar heartbreak.
"We know Beccy would want us to save young lives, so they can live the life she was so tragically unable to enjoy. Young drivers taking a little more time, will give someone like Beccy a lifetime."
Chris and Nicole Taylor
Sharron Huddleston
Sharron’s 18-year-old daughter, Caitlin, was killed on a rural road in Cumbria in July 2017.
Caitlin was a passenger in a car driven by her 18-year-old friend, who had passed her test just four months earlier. Both girls were killed. A friend travelling in the back and the oncoming van driver were seriously injured. The crash was attributed to the inexperience of the newly qualified driver.
Caitlin was a thoughtful girl who shared a close bond with her parents. Adored by her older siblings, Hannah and Aidan, and deeply missed by her friends, she had a love of music and history. The youngest of Sharron’s three children, Caitlin's death left a deep and lasting void.
Since 2018, Sharron has campaigned tirelessly for the introduction of Graduated Driving Licensing in Britain. With the support of other long-standing campaigning families, she formally founded and named Forget-me-not Families Uniting to bring bereaved parents together and ensure their voices are heard.
She set up Caitlin's Campaign, Caitlin’s Message and worked with the AA to create the rural roads campaign, Caitlin's Hour.
"It’s sadly too late for my daughter, but through her name, and sadly her sudden and tragic death, I hope to stop this heart-breaking tragedy from happening to any other innocent family. "Let it not be too late for our younger generation, to help them stay safe on our roads, with simple safety precautions put in place after passing their driving test."
Sharron Huddleston
Crystal Owen
Crystal’s 17-year-old son, Harvey, was killed in a crash in Wales in 2023, along with three of his teenage friends.
The driver of the car, who was 18, had passed his test just six months earlier when he lost control of the vehicle on the way to a camping trip.
Harvey was kind, loving and carefree, always seeing the good in others. He lived for playing the guitar, inspired by musicians before his time and dreamed of becoming a chef.
Above all he cherished time with his family, who meant everything to him. His death has left a devastating and lasting impact on his family and community.
In the months that followed, Crystal launched a petition calling for the introduction of Graduated Driving Licensing in Britain. Within six months, it had gained more than 100,000 signatures, becoming a central part of the national conversation on young driver safety.
"The law we’re fighting for would protect not just new drivers, but also their passengers and other road users. In so many areas of life, we offer extra support when people are newly qualified.
"There will never be a victory for us - Harvey’s life was cut tragically short. But his kind heart and love for helping others give me the strength to fight for change and spare other families this devastating loss."
Crystal Owen
Jane Radford
Jane’s 17-year-old son, Will, was killed in a crash in June 2024, just a month after passing his driving test.
It was a sunny afternoon when Will offered a friend a lift home from college. Driving on a rural road he did not know well, he lost control on a bend and collided with an oncoming van.
Although both boys were wearing seatbelts and took safety precautions, Will could not survive his injuries. He died in hospital three days later, with his family by his side.
Will was a happy, funny and intelligent boy who loved judo, studying, working and spending time with his family, friends and girlfriend. He had been looking forward to a summer holiday in Crete and a judo training camp in Poland – plans that were never realised.
At Will’s inquest, the coroner issued a ‘preventing future deaths’ report, highlighting how the distraction of carrying a passenger may have contributed to the crash. Jane is now calling for a Graduated Driving Licensing system in Britain, with measures such as limiting peer passengers in the early months after passing a driving test to increase safety for young drivers, their passengers and other road users and extending supervised learning.
Will's family wish to make clear that neither Will’s passenger nor the driver of the other vehicle bear any responsibility.
"The shock, pain, the trauma, PTSD, the numbness, aching to see your child again, the confusion and exhaustion it causes. We are changed as people and most days don’t recognise ourselves as the people we were. Most days we are just functioning rather than really engaging fully with life. We try hard to push on and live the lives our son would want us to because he can’t, but it’s just not that simple."
Jane Radford
