A night to celebrate the life of loving Lulu Covey who died a year ago

She'll never be forgotten and her parents are busy planning a celebration of her life.

Mum Glenys Marsh and step dad Dave want her remembered as she was - a loving, bright, exceptional girl who touched the lives of everyone who knew her.

They'll be calling it Lulu's Spice Night and it'll be held in Salway Ash village hall on July 30.

It's a dual purpose event - to remember and celebrate Lulu and to raise money for two charities - Brake the road safety charity and The Wormwood Scrubs Horse and Pony Centre, chosen to be the first beneficiary of the Lulu Covey Horse Fund, set up by the Martin and Philippa Clunes and daughter Emily in Lulu's memory.

She was their groom for three years.

They said: "We have set up a fund in the name of our friend and groom Lulu Covey.

"Lulu was a fantastic groom with a love, fascination and openness towards all animals but especially horses. Her death has had a huge impact on our small community and we have set up this fund to keep her name and memory alive and turn some of our sadness into something positive."

The Clunes' have also offered to offered two walk on parts for Doc Martin the family can use to raise funds which will be offered as a silent auction.

Each year they will chose a different, horse-related, charity in her name and Glenys and Dave will support it at what they hope to be an annual event to remember their daughter.

They are appealing for sponsorship for the event and for raffle prizes.

They have already had offers of some good prizes but need more by the end of May so tickets can be printed up for sale in early June.

Glenys said: "We don't want it to be just about raising money though, it is about celebrating Lulu and her life.

"For me it is more about remembering her. I am scared to death of people forgetting her. I want people to know what she was like."

And that's the reason the night will be one that they are sure Lulu herself would have enjoyed.

It's being called Lulu's Spice Night because she loved curries from Alasdair Marshall's Spice n' Rice in Bridport market and he'll be catering on the night.

There will also be a bucking bronco, disco, bar, bouncy castle.

Glenys said: "We are trying to make it something she would have liked for her and her friends.

In the first few days of asking they have already been offered Liz Earle products, a Hetty vacuum cleaner, hand made jewellery, a vase from Eeles pottery, lots of hair and beauty products and a pass for Crealy adventure park.

Glenys added: "That's why we want to make it annual event, maybe even have a festival next year or a ball later this year.

Anyone wishing to bid for the Doc Martin parts who is not attending Lulu's spice night can bid via the address below by July 28 with their silent bid and all bids will be opened on night of Lulu's do and the winner announced by Martin Clunes.

Contact details for prizes and sponsorship is Glenys and Dave Marsh, Primrose Cottage, Salway Ash, Bridport DT6 5HX, phone 07795 124082 or email glenys57@aol.com & gem57@btinternet.com

CLOSE FAMILY: Lulu with her sisters, mum and nan

LULU Covey was a home-loving girl and one who never saw the bad in anyone, said mum Glenys Marsh.

And if she can find any consolation it's that Lulu was so happy with her life.

Glenys said: "Lulu posted this two weeks before her accident and it sums her up and her outlook on life and we should all take note:

'Take chances... Tell the truth... Learn to say NO... Spend money on the things you love... Laugh till your stomach hurts... Dance even if you are bad at it... Pose stupidly for photos... Be childlike... Moral: Death is not the greatest loss in life; loss is when life dies inside you whilst alive... Celebrate this event called LIFE x'

She loved horses and landed her dream job as a groom for Martin Clunes and his family in Beaminster.

After school Lulu went to Kingston Maurward but only did a year there as she hated being away from home.

She then studied beauty at Yeovil and Weymouth colleges.

BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT: Lulu

She was working at Melanie Brown's Hair and Beauty Salon in Axminster when she got a phone call out of the blue from Martin Clunes.

Glenys said: "She worked with Martin Clunes for just over three years, they thought a lot of her.

"She used to say they were like a second family and it wasn't like going to work.

"She loved her life so much.

"She said not long before she died 'I am loving my life at the minute' and we do take consolation from that.

"I never fell out with her, she was never moody about anything.

"We are not just saying that, she genuinely always looked for the joy in life. She couldn't see the bad side of anyone," added Dave.

Lulu's love of horses was a case of love at first sight when she was 12.

The former Beaminster School pupil did her project week at Hillview riding stables in Crewkerne and from that moment on was absolutely smitten.

She was lucky enough to have friends with ponies in Salway Ash where she lived but her dad Dave Covey bought her Brandy, her first pony at the age of 12 or 13.

FIRST LOVE: Lulu with Brandy

Brandy lived to the same age as Lulu but had to be put down at the age of 25.

She had a number of other horses over the years, says mum Glenys.

"Some really wild ones that scared me to death," she remembers.

"She had something about her, every animal trusted and loved her, the same with people.

TRUST GOES BOTH WAYS: Lulu and friend

"I was so proud of her - people saying she'd just affected them even though they'd only met her once or twice.

"She'd something so very special about her."

Lulu had just bought Crumble who is now living with the Clunes family. She's now called Lulu's Crumble and they'll breed from her and all her offspring will have the Lulu prefix.

"It's a lovely legacy," said Glenys.

Lulu was often involved in the Broadoak horse show and organisers there have started a memorial trophy in her name which was presented by nephew Charlie.

SISTERS: Lisa, Lulu and Vicky

IT is family that have helped Glenys and Dave through the past year.

Lulu had two sisters Vicky, 35 and Lisa,33 and their children make up the tight-knit family, which includes Dave's children Zoe and Liam.

And grandchild Charlie, 10, has just been chosen by Brake to be a flag carrier at the UEFA cup finals.

BIG DAY: Charlie at Old Trafford

Glenys said: "I took him to see Old Trafford against Liverpool. Charlie, who supports Manchester United, had a great time. Sadly we didn't meet any of the players though.

"We also met another family who had also tragically lost their daughter also in 2014 aged 14."

Dave added: "The children helped us through it in the early days, especially the grandchildren."

Glenys said: "You have to be normal, or as normal as you can be for their sakes.

"We have to say a thank you to all friends and family for support during this last year, I really don't think we could have got through it without them."

MUM AND DAUGHTER: Never a cross word

THE road safety charity Brake was an obvious choice as a beneficiary for Lulu's memorial Spice Night.

It's been a lifeline for her grieving family not only in terms of victim support but in giving them a focus to try and raise awareness of road safety.

In the early days after the crash it made Glenys and Dave and their close-knit family realise they were by no means alone - and that the often contradictory emotions they were feeling were entirely normal.

Glenys said: "Brake for us was invaluable. The information and support on their website helps see you see through the first months "It made me realise that I wasn't actually going mad - the different feelings, the anger, the sadness, so many different emotions were common."

It also may them realise they wanted to help campaign to raise awareness of road safety.

Glenys said: "It needn't it have happened but there is nobody to blame, that is the hardest thing. I hate it called an accident, it wasn't, it was a crash."

Dave added: "Anyone who looses a child, under any circumstances the shock is still great but there is this kind of thing which are avoidable by people paying attention, taking care, not messing around on the road."

At Lulu's inquest the coroner said the crash, which also killed, Steven Cook, 45, from Poole was ‘serious miscalculation’ in foggy driving conditions.

Mr Cook had been attempting to overtake on the A37 at Break Heart Hill near Grimstone.

Dave said witness statements were read out at the inquest. He said: "It makes it sound like everyone had all the time in the world but in reality it is just a split second."

LOVING LIFE: Lulu with friend Amy

WHILE the family is supporting Brake and its work to make the roads safer for the millions of motorists they are also campaigning to make what happens after a crash easier for bereaved families.

Glenys has written her testimonial to support another road safety charity RoadPeace and its Justice Campaign to improve the post road crash response and that includes inquests.

For Glenys and Dave the whole horrific experience was made worse they say by things that could be easily rectified.

One was the long wait to hear the detailed results of the autopsy - they had a two-line report soon after the incident saying Lulu had died from multiple injuries following a car crash.

This wasn't news to them but they wanted to be sure she'd at least died instantly.

They waited more than four months to get a detailed report that said she had.

Glenys said: "As a mum you really do need to know."

Dave added: "You don't want to read in depth information but you need it for your own peace of mind."

They could also have had their minds completely put to rest months before the December inquest when they found out about a former doctor who was first on the scene who said there was no doubt Lulu died instantly.

They didn't know of his existence and they said neither had the family liaison officer.

They were also not allowed to ask questions at the inquest - something they'd requested beforehand.

They also want it to be routine procedure to collect blood samples for toxicology reports from everyone involved.

Glenys and Dave are not implying they think the driver of the car Lulu was in any way at fault or had either been drinking or taking drugs but feel if Lulu was tested for both everybody involved should have been.

Glenys has sent her testimonial not just to RoadPeace but to MP Oliver Letwin and Victims' Commissioner Baronness Newlove.

Glenys said: "We are raising awareness about how people are treated at times like these.

My testimonial is about the process and how we felt and the areas cropped up that could have been handled better. We believe it could ease everyone's mind to be more informed a lot sooner.

"I felt as if Lulu wasn't treated with dignity and care, it was as though she was just another number.

HEARTBREAKING LOSS: Lulu with her beloved Murphy

MUCH LOVED: Lulu and friends

HORSE LOVERS: Lulu meets Monty Roberts

CHEERS: Here's to a life well lived