Goodwill and charitable gestures have been prominent across south Essex during 2017, but one organisation which has helped improve the lives of many this year is the Aaron Lewis Foundation (ALF).

The charity was set up in 2010 in the memory of the late Aaron Lewis, from Rochford, who was a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery and died serving the UK in Afghanistan in 2008.

He died in Afghanistan aged 26 in December 2008 when insurgents attacked a base he jointly commanded with Danish troops.

At the time, his regiment was in the very early planning stages of trying to raise funds to build a memorial for the regiment 29 Commando Regiment, outside of the Royal Citadel in Plymouth, which was Aaron’s regimental home The foundation immediately got behind the project, raising £110,000, half the amount needed, in Aaron’s name.

Since then, the foundation has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for a variety of charities and seeks to improve people’s independence by providing them with the necessary equipment to boost their mobility.

And they have done just that.

Most recently, this month ALF raised funds for Richard Traveller, a 10-year-old boy from Canvey with severe cerebral palsy, to provide him with a unique wheelchair.

As Richard was getting older and he was venturing out more often, his old wheelchair was becoming inadequate for him.

So the foundation helped fund the wheelchair, along with members of the community and even well-known TV adventurer, Bear Grylls, so that Richard could get out and about.

The foundation specifically funded the Tiride device that allows the wheelchair to be powered electrically.

Another example of their generosity this year was helping nine-year-old Connall Riley, from Westcliff.

Connall was struck down with a rare form of bone cancer resulting in one of his legs being amputated below the knee.

In July, Connall was able to get out on his bike again after ALF presented him with a hand cycle.

Aaron’s mum Helen, who is a trustee of ALF, thanked everybody for the support the foundation had received over the last year.

She said: “Myself, my husband Barry, all of Aaron’s family and friends are very proud that through The Aaron Lewis Foundation, Aaron can continue making a difference to the lives of others.

“Without the support of the very many people and local business’s that continue to support The Aaron Lewis Foundation, this would not be possible.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation for that support, words are not adequate enough to convey just how much it means to us that.

“Aaron and the ultimate sacrifice he made is so well respected and the comfort it brings that so many people care is hard for me to explain, but it really does mean so much to us.

“I, the other ALF trustees and everyone involved with The ALF, look forward to continuing Aaron’s legacy in 2018.”

As well as disabled youngsters, the Foundation has also helped former soldiers who have become disabled while serving for their country.

Charlie Radclyffe, 38, served in the Irish Guards and was left paralysed from the knees down after an accident during training in 2003. He is dependent on crutches to walk.

After leaving the military, he felt the need to challenge himself physically, which led to several years of travelling that included sailing across the south Atlantic in winter, learning to sit-ski and visiting more than 50 countries.

After meeting his wife in 2012, the couple realised they had a shared love of kayaking.

So ALF funded a Thule Hullavator Pro loading system, roof rack and Multilift to solve the problem for Charlie.

Other donations of theirs include providing 50 per cent of the funding for an ice trike for a former soldier.

The dad of two, Chris Jones, 69, lost his lower right leg in an accident while on duty in 1966 and later had his knee amputated after the bone fractured.