A FAMILY still grieving for the loss of a son and brother hope to create a centre for Swindon’s disengaged young people in his honour.

Father-of-two Gary Lane, of Hyde Road, Stratton, died aged 23 in a motorcycle accident near his home in 2008 and the popular in-line skater’s funeral saw a huge turnout.

For the past 18 months his mother Anita, father Ernie, sisters Christine, Jo, Sarah and Tracy and numerous friends have been working on a social scheme to ensure something positive comes out of his death.

Christine, 22, said: “Yes, it was a tragedy, yes, we will live with it forever, but Gary would rather be remembered in a positive way.

“We wanted to put something back into the community.

“We wanted to make something good out of my brother’s life and what he’d achieved.”

The group, who name themselves the Next Level Movement after Gary’s Next Level Crew, want to create an all-purpose social centre built around street culture.

It would include an indoor skate park, trampoline room, and music and dance studios, as well as giving advice and support on employment, health issues, benefits and education.

The centre would principally serve 13 to 24-year-olds, but the team want it to be open to anyone that might have use of it.

The family said Gary had started such a project himself, but would have been amazed by their grand ambitions.

Gary died in a motorcycle accident with a Smart car at the junction of Ermin Street and Windbrook Meadow, Stratton, in October 2008.

Mother Anita, 57, described the time since her son’s death as “horrendous”.

However, it was only after his death that she realised how important he had been to so many young people helping them through problems using his own experience.

Anita said: “The things I have learned from friends of Gary’s and things I have seen and heard, it’s just amazing.”

Gary struggled at school from a young age and was expelled from several different schools – he was later diagnosed with dyslexia.

The family understood he was taking heroin aged 15 or 16, but said he had been clean of drugs for five years before his death.

Anita said she felt that the systems were not in place at the time to help Gary and that he would approve of what they were doing.

The group have spent many hours in Gary’s Den, a shed in the back garden, putting together a business plan.

Nearby two candles continue to burn at a memorial in the family’s garden as they have done since Gary’s death.

Sarah, 31, from Park North, said: “It’s how to turn grief and negative emotions into a positive. Gary will always be at the heart of this.”

Christine said: “It’s the project that kept us going.

“What came from grief was bigger than any of us could have imagined.”

The group are hoping for the public’s input on the project and would welcome suggestions on how it could be improved.

Contact them at info@thenextlevelmovement.co.uk.