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Ed note: GenevaLunch, which published several articles on Myles Robinson’s disappearance and death in Wengen, canton Bern during the Christmas holidays 2009, has been asked by his family to share information about a memorial fund with the thousands of readers who followed the story. Many wrote in to express their sorrow at the family’s loss.

Myles and Michael Robinson

Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The family of Myles Robinson, a young British man who disappeared two days before Christmas in the Swiss resort of Wengen, canton Bern, and was later found dead from a cliff-top fall, is establishing a fund in his memory. The Myles Robinson Memorial Trust aims to “increase the involvement of young British adults in helping underprivileged children at home and abroad to become more actively involved in sport.”

The family says on the web site it has created for the Trust that it “will give young British adults the opportunity to experience other cultures in a role that gives underprivileged children a routine involvement in organized sport, where such organized sport does not already exist. Our hope is that this will keep such children away from crime or other socially unproductive activities and give them enjoyment and focus in their lives.”

The 23-year-old disappeared during a short walk back to his hotel in the early hours of the morning, and he was the focus of a major search effort before his body was found 28 December far below the village, at the foot of a scenic overlook area from where he appears to have slipped.

The fund’s purpose was inspired, the family says, by his love of sport and his own experience working with children in sports in Ghana during a gap year between secondary school and university. A lanky 6 foot 5 (196 cm) man, Myles excelled at sports and was passionate about golf, skiing and water polo. The day he disappeared his family had helped him select his Christmas present, a new pair of skis that he spent the afternoon trying out.

“Myles was an avid sportsman – a golfer, a skier, a water polo player and a lover of most sports. In his gap year, he became involved in teaching football – and a bit of golf – to children in Africa and this was something that gave him a huge amount of satisfaction. We hope that through this Trust other young people will be able to have the same fulfilling experience that Myles did,” says his father Michael Robinson.

The Trust has been setup under the UK Charities Aid Foundation umbrella (charity number 268369) and will work through other existing charities, such as Lattitude and Raleigh, the family says. “These organizations give volunteers the chance to make a worthwhile difference to the lives of others through sports projects overseas, while providing an unforgettable experience of adventurous travel, cultural exchange and personal development.

“The family are keen to raise as much money as possible for Myles’ trust, so that a real difference can be made. Myles’ would-be employer, Partners Capital, have been extremely generous in making an initial contribution of £15,000 to the The Myles Robinson Memorial Trust.”

He was scheduled to start a new job at Partners Capital at the end of the family holiday in Wengen, a resort popular with British tourists, where the family had been skiing for 15 years.

Donations and further information