FRIENDS and family of a man who was crushed to death in a building site accident have raised almost £2,300 for two charities in his memory.

The cash was raised at Royston Dean’s funeral and other events, and has been donated to Dogs for the Disabled and Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust.

Mr Dean, of Perrin Close, Banbury, was working with his brother Stephen at a new waste water management site in Frampton-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, in November 2008, when the dumper truck he was driving overturned.

The 44-year-old groundworker was not wearing his seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene.

On the second anniversary of his death, Mr Dean’s family donated cash to two charities close to his heart.

His mother Pat Dean, of Penrhyn Close, Banbury, said the family raised £1,675 from a Royston ‘Dixie’ Dean memorial night at Banbury United last November.

She said: “Royston had to use the air ambulance in 2004 when he was involved in a digger accident.

“Royston wanted to acknowledge the air ambulance.”

She said the family have also added a short film showing the memorial night, cheque presentation, pictures of Mr Dean and funeral flowers to social networking site Facebook.

It ends with a Chinese lantern floating in the sky, which was released on Friday, November 26, to mark the second anniversary since his death.

At Mr Dean’s funeral, money was collected to care for his dog Dudley, but he died last year from cancer and the £605 which was left over was donated to Dogs for the Disabled.

Stephanie Lawless, community fundraising manager for Dogs for the Disabled said: “We are very grateful to Royston’s family and friends for kindly making a donation to Dogs for the Disabled at such a sad time.

“Royston used to walk his dog Dudley at the Spiceball Park where many of our dogs are trained and exercised, so Royston was known to some of our staff.”

Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust received £1,675.15.

Rosie Hellawell, its Oxfordshire fundraising manager, said “We would like to thank Royston’s family and friends for their generous donation at this difficult time.

“They chose us as one of the recipients because we had airlifted Royston some years previously and are aware of the fact that our vital service is not government funded.”