A fund has been set up in memory of a former weekly newspaper journalist who died from cancer at the age of 28.

Matt Beeson was a reporter at Staffordshire-based community title Your Leek Paper until 2007 but left journalism to pursue a career in teaching.

He lost his battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare blood cancer, in August.

Friends, family and colleagues attended a concert in his memory last month and all the profits from it will go to a fund set up in his name.

Matt, who was also a former Radio Stoke journalist, married his wife Charlie just three months before his death.

She told the Stoke Sentinel: “I’m trying to raise awareness of the type of illness Matt had, it’s so rare there isn’t much research into it.

“This is the first event we’ve done to raise money, but I know we’ll do more in the future, there’s already plans for a charity football match and another gig in October.

“Matt had lots of close friends and it’s great to see them all come together to remember him.”

Matt and Charlie on their wedding day

Matt wanted to become an English teacher and he was due to go back to his studies.

He had been set to have a bone marrow transplant, but the cancer progressed before he could undergo the procedure.

Matt’s mum Linda, a 58-year-old NHS admin worker, said: “Matt was a very special person, and this is a fitting tribute to him.

“It’s nice to see people wanting to do something in his memory.”