Loose Women star Brenda Edwards has opened a Self Belief Creative Community Hub on the anniversary of her son Jamal Edwards’ death as she admits it feels “quite scary” realising four years have passed
Brenda described her son as “very selfless” and said he was “always thinking of others”(Image: ITV)
Brenda Edwards has admitted it feels “quite scary” realising four years have passed since losing her son Jamal Edwards, whilst describing the launch of a community hub in his memory as an “amazing feeling”.
The Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust unveiled its Self Belief Creative Community Hub in west London on Friday, coinciding with the anniversary of the DJ and music entrepreneur’s death on 20 February 2022, aged just 31.
The charity was established by Loose Women star Edwards alongside her daughter Tanisha Artman in the aftermath of Jamal’s passing, with the mission to “help young people and bring everybody together as a community” and “carry on his legacy”.
Jamal Edwards was awarded an MBE in 2014(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
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In conversation with the Press Association, Edwards revealed her involvement with the trust has proven “absolutely pivotal”, branding it the “driving force” behind managing her bereavement.
She remarked: “The fact that I know that I’m trying to carry on his legacy to help young people is an amazing feeling.”
Edwards continued: “I’m literally transforming what he was doing and what he wanted me to address, which was helping young people and bringing everybody together as a community.”
Reflecting on her son’s passing, she admitted: “It’s really quite scary to think that it’s four years this Friday. There’s not a day that I obviously don’t speak to him in my mind. I really feel his presence and that that really helps me.
“It’s really hard every day. But I know he is watching saying: ‘Come on, mummy, come on.'” Jamal rose to prominence after launching the music platform SBTV in 2006, and was recognised for helping propel numerous UK artists to stardom, including Dave, Jessie J and Ed Sheeran.
He also served as an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, a charity led by the Prince of Wales, and in 2014 received an MBE for his services to music.
Tanisha Artman and her mother Brenda Edwards(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Brenda described her son as “very selfless” and said he was “always thinking of others”, adding: “I think he got such a great joy out of that, and it’s taught me a lot as well.”
The Self Belief Community Hub is a facility “dedicated to empowering young people”, providing them with a place where they can “build their futures”, according to the trust.
The trust explained the hub will run a series of events centred on creativity, wellbeing, life skills and employability, and features amenities including music and podcast studios, co-working areas and a subsidised kitchen serving daily meals.
Brenda told PA it’s about uniting the community and providing support, and revealed that Jamal conceived the concept “the year before he became forever 31”.
She explained: “Everything that I’m doing is based on his letter of wishes that he left for me with his will.”
Situated on the Acton housing estate where Jamal grew up, the hub holds a deeply personal significance for Brenda(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Brenda described the letter as a “guiding force” for her, adding: “In the letter, he said that he wanted young people to be at the forefront of everything that I do.
“His whole mantra was self belief. That legacy will always remain, and people will always be speaking about him and know of him as somebody that wanted to bring communities together.”
Describing it as “totally full circle”, she went on to say: “It was really weird. It’s a major feeling. Bittersweet, because I know he would have wanted to see this in fruition, but I get the strength from the fact that I know that he’s there and he’s watching.”
For more details about the Self Belief Creative Community Hub, visit the charity’s website,
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