Lucas Martin's Legacy

Published on 2 August 2024

This story celebrates the life of Lucas Martin, a University of Liverpool Management School International Business graduate, who sadly passed away last year from meningitis. This news story has been kindly written by his father Brett Martin.

Why did Lucas decide to study at the University of Liverpool Management School?

Liverpool played a big role in Lucas’s life. It is the main gateway for people travelling to the UK from our family home on the Isle of Man, so his earliest memories would have been of holiday adventures starting with a trip to the Pier Head or John Lennon Airport. Also, the whole family are avid Liverpool FC fans and Lucas loved going to Anfield with his brothers or friends. The University of Liverpool was therefore the ideal place for him to pursue his studies.

What did Lucas enjoy most about studying at the University of Liverpool?

Lucas’s first year was severely disrupted by the Covid pandemic, so the normal student social scene was curtailed. However, several of his friends from the Island were also studying in Liverpool, and once restrictions were lifted, they became a tight little group of housemates and neighbours. Having some of his best mates from school close by, being able to pop home for weekends, and studying international business, a subject that really interested him, made for an enjoyable time despite the challenging start.

What were Lucas’s favourite things about the city of Liverpool?

The stand-out was being able to follow his favourite football team in their hometown. However, Lucas was a ‘people person’ and he loved the cosmopolitan nature of Liverpool. The vibe of the city suited him perfectly – he was enthusiastic, lively, and a little irreverent – all traits you’ll find in abundance on Merseyside!

You have set up a charity in Lucas’s name. Can you tell us more about how this came to happen?

Lucas was a very caring person and went out of his way to help people of all ages. We knew this from first-hand experience, but after his passing we learned of so many more acts of kindness from schoolmates, parents and people we’d never even met! He was passionate about helping people in life, so we felt a charity to carry on his good works was a fitting memorial to a wonderful young man.

What is the charity in aid of and how can people support Looky’s Aid?

Lucas’s family nickname was Looky, hence ‘Looky’s Aid’. The charity’s main aim is to help disadvantaged young people to realise their potential. By nature, Lucas was loving, optimistic, ambitious, determined and selfless and we’ve used this as an acronym (‘give it LOADS’) as a strapline for the charity. Many young people have similar attributes in their nature, but some don’t have the nurture to match, and this is where Looky’s Aid comes in. The aim is to help young people overcome challenges such as poverty, disability or other forms of adversity that might compromise their ability to ‘give it LOADS’.

Most of the funds raised for the charity have come from Lucas’s friends running marathons, and from events organised by his former school. However, we do fundraise through direct donation and via a range of merchandise. Donations and orders can be made via www.lookys-aid.org.

How are you celebrating Lucas’s life and his memory through the charity?

The aims of the charity align perfectly with what was important to Lucas in life and we like to think he’ll be looking down and giving us his trademark ‘thumbs up’!

However, the charity is not the only way in which his life is being celebrated. He was an organ donor and was posthumously awarded the Order of St John for saving three lives with his donations.

He also has a bar named after him in the Isle of Man, complete with ‘Looky’s Choice’ beer and ‘Looky burgers’ on the menu! Check out www.lookys.im for details.

Lucas was a very special son, brother, and friend to many, and it’s fitting that his legacy will be celebrated for many years to come through the charity, the bar and, most importantly, the lives of the three people he saved.

Thank you to Brett and Looky’s Aid for writing this to honour Lucas's memory and raise awareness.