"Water doesn't care, so we should care": Family urging for better water safety in memory of their son
The family of Joshua Hillstead, who tragically drowned in Warwickshire's River Arrow last year, are calling for better water safety awareness
A family from the West Midlands are calling for better water safety measures in memory of their son who tragically drowned last summer.
Eight year old Joshua Hillstead, from Maypole, in Birmingham, died after falling into the River Arrow in Warwickshire last year.
Today, would have marked Joshua's tenth birthday.
Joshua's mum, Rebecca Hinde has been remembering her son and shared what the past year has been like for herself and the family.
Ms Hinde said: "He was beautiful, he was just such a lovely boy. He had such a wonderful manner about him and he had a heart of gold.
"I am so proud that I got to be his mum."
Ms Hinde continued: "The past year without him has been extremely hard, there's no other way of putting it.
"Without him being here there's just a massive gap, you notice it in everything that he's not here with us anymore and it's so sad.
"As hard as it's been, we have had a lot of moments of joy too when we think of him and we talk about him.
"We remember the good times and the happy times because I know he wouldn't want us to be sad."
Ms Hinde, alongside other members of the family, has since set up the Joshua Hillstead Foundation the help raise awareness on water safety.
Rebecca said: "The charity will help to keep Joshua's memory alive and will help to save lives in the future.
"My son didn't know how to stay safe around open water and you look back in hindsight and think, why don't we know this already?
"We have a lot of outdoor waterways and it's so important to be able to educate children on it, so they don't face the same devastation we faced.
"We think that it can be easily addressed in schools and quite recently water safety has become part of the curriculum and that's a huge win for us.
"Water doesn't care, so we should care and that's why we want to spread awareness on water safety in memory of Joshua."
The official launch of the Joshua Hillstead Foundation will take place this Saturday in Worcestershire at Whythall Park.