Scholarship launched in memory of former Worcester student – BBC
A scholarship has been launched in memory of a former University of Worcester student who was killed in a terrorist attack.
Joel Richards, 19, who was training to be a teacher and was a keen referee, was killed in Tunisia in 2015 alongside his grandfather and uncle.
Now, the Joel Richards Scholarship Fund will help students who want to get qualifications in areas like coaching, refereeing, tutoring and first aid.
"Joel spent two years at Worcester, and what an impact he made to have all this legacy," said his mum, Suzanne Richards MBE.
"Joel lived for sport, he was a very good referee – he was a level four referee when he passed, well on his way to being a premier referee.
"He loved everything about sport, he played everything… he played Gaelic football, he was a keeper."
She told the BBC that her son would be "over the moon" about having this legacy.
The university said refereeing courses could cost up to £300, and the scholarship fund would remove financial barriers for aspiring professionals.
It would also support students in need from Joel's former schools – St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Wood Green Academy in Wednesbury – who go on to study at the University of Worcester.
"Joel was very passionate about sport, grassroots sports, getting young people into sport," said Ms Richards.
"He did lots of different volunteering hours to try and get people around the community to join into any sport, really.
"It just leaves his name at Worcester University forever, which is really nice."
She added that he also volunteered doing sports at schools.
"He'd always be that person who was talking to that child on the side who didn't want to get involved, didn't want to take part, and encouraged them to."
"It's about giving everybody the opportunity, those students that want to do well, want to get into sport, sometimes financially they cant do it – so it's giving everyone an equal opportunity to do that."
"Joel was a cherished member of the university community," the university said.
"The scholarship fund aims to honour his legacy by helping others pursue their ambitions in sport and education."
On 6 November, a special event will be held in the university arena's conference suite, which is named after Joel, to raise money for the scholarship fund.
Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
She is charged with four counts of assault and due to appear in court later this month, police say.
There are 16 routes in Worcester, serving 12 schools, with at least one ride every day of the week.
Donald Trump's peace plan would see a Board of Peace in Gaza, with involvement from Sir Tony Blair.
Adrenaline junkie Rakela Kalemi swaps dangling from the ceiling with helping injured soldiers
The festival of light is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains and falls on 20 October this year.
Copyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
