Isle of Man TT rider’s widow ‘speechless’ as fundraiser for family passes £30,000

The wife of late TT rider Daniel Ingham has thanked the public after a fundraiser launched to help secure her family’s future passed £30,000.

Helayna Ingham said she was ‘absolutely speechless’ at the amount raised, describing the generosity and support shown to herself and her children, Joey and Phoebe, as ‘completely overwhelming’.

The latest total comes just days after Helayna launched the GoFundMe appeal following the death of her husband, who was killed during qualifying for this year’s TT.

Daniel, 33, was a 2024 Senior Manx Grand Prix winner and died on May 27 after an incident during qualifying for the 2026 TT.

Helayna said she had been told Daniel’s life insurance policy would not pay out because of what she described as ‘technicalities surrounding the circumstances of his death’.

Daniel had taken out the policy specifically to cover his racing, with Helayna previously saying he had done so to ensure his family would be financially protected if anything happened to him.

The situation left Helayna facing the possibility of losing the family home in Melton Mowbray, where she and Daniel had built their life together.

Launching the appeal, she said her priority was protecting the home and future of Joey and Phoebe while the family continued to grieve.

The fundraiser has now reached £33,276, prompting Helayna to post a heartfelt message thanking everyone who has contributed, shared the appeal or sent messages of support.

‘WOW… over £30,000! I am absolutely speechless. Just… WOW,’ she wrote.

‘The generosity, kindness and support everyone has shown me, Joey and Phoebe has been completely overwhelming. I honestly never imagined we would reach this amount.’

She added: ‘Every donation, every share, every message and every kind word has meant more to us than I could ever explain.’

Helayna said she wished she could personally thank everyone who had supported the family.

‘You have come together to support our little family when we needed it most, and I will never, ever forget that,’ she said.

The latest milestone comes shortly after an emotional tribute to Daniel at the end of the Classic TT.

On Friday, August 28, Helayna completed the lap of the Mountain Course that her husband had started during TT qualifying but never got to finish.

She travelled around the course on the back of a travelling marshal Jim Hunter’s motorcycle, carrying Daniel’s ashes, while hundreds of bikers, friends and members of the road-racing community gathered to support her.

Also the Manx Motorcycle Club vice-president Jim Hunter, who helped organise the tribute, said the turnout showed the strength of the motorcycling community.

He added that he hoped the occasion would eventually give Daniel’s children a lasting reminder of the support their father had from the racing community.

‘I’m sure that when Helayna gets home and she has the opportunity to show her children, Joey and Phoebe, what people think of their dad, it'll make it all worthwhile,’ he said.

Helayna has now thanked those who have helped the family reach the latest fundraising milestone.

‘From the absolute bottom of my heart, thank you,’ she said.

You can find the GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-protect-dans-family-our-forever-home.