Jamal Edwards MBE

Sunrise 24 August 1990

Sunset 20th February 2022

 

Jamal no longer being here has left a huge impact on the lives of his family, friends and all those he supported and lifted in his unique and humble way. Jamal lived his life staying true to himself, providing a platform for all to showcase what made them special whilst encouraging all to believe in themselves to achieve their full potential.

 

We have been so touched by the messages of support we have received from people from all walks of life who have positive stories to tell of Jamal’s generosity which he gave with no expectation of reciprocity.

 

To honour his memory and continue his legacy, we have set up The Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust. It has been set up with an objective to support those causes that mattered most to Jamal. The Trust will target three key interrelated areas : (i) Combatting homelessness; (ii) Supporting people with mental health issues and; (iii) Providing young people with essential life skills.

 

Every Christmas day for at least the last ten years, Jamal would spend the entire day helping out at a homeless shelter. Over 270,000 people are homeless in the UK today. The Trust will look to establish a network of “Self Belief” Houses with the aim of offering individuals who are living rough a roof over their heads. There will be  programmes to help tackle mental health issues they may face as well as the means to get back on their feet. The House will offer specialised programmes designed to address issues of self-confidence and other psychological challenges residents may face.

 

Jamal was passionate about empowering youth and providing the next generation with both the life skills and opportunities to maximise their potential. The second key initiative the Trust will focus its energy and resources on will be to build The SB Academy, which will continue the mission started by Jamal of hosting specialised programmes aimed at helping young people from underprivileged backgrounds prepare themselves for adult life, providing them with essential life skills training, supported by an access to industry programme.

 

All our love,

 

Brenda, Tanisha and Family

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