Brenda Edwards has spoken openly about the passage of time since the death of her son, music entrepreneur and DJ Jamal Edwards, describing it as “quite scary” as she marked the fourth anniversary of his passing.
The Loose Women panellist commemorated the milestone by unveiling a new community hub in west London, dedicated to her son’s legacy.
The Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust officially opened the Self Belief Creative Community Hub on Friday, coinciding with the anniversary of Jamal’s death on 20 February 2022.
Jamal Edwards, who was just 31 when he passed, rose to prominence after founding the music platform SBTV in 2006. His platform helped launch the careers of several UK artists, including Dave, Jessie J, and Ed Sheeran, and he was recognized with an MBE in 2014 for his services to music.
Brenda, speaking about the hub’s launch, described it as an “amazing feeling.” She explained that the work of the trust has been a crucial part of her grieving process, providing purpose and helping her channel her grief into something positive.
“The fact that I know that I’m trying to carry on his legacy to help young people is an amazing feeling,” she said. “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.”
Brenda Edwards
Reflecting on her son’s death, Brenda admitted that the passage of four years feels surreal. “There’s not a day that I obviously don’t speak to him in my mind. I really feel his presence, and that really helps me,” she said. “It’s really hard every day. But I know he is watching saying: ‘Come on, mummy, come on.’”
The Self Belief Creative Community Hub, located on the Acton housing estate where Jamal grew up, is intended as a space for young people to develop skills, explore creativity, and build confidence.
The hub offers facilities including music and podcast studios, co-working spaces, and a subsidised kitchen providing daily meals. The trust has outlined a programme of activities focusing on creativity, wellbeing, life skills, and employability.
Brenda described the opening as a full-circle moment, rooted in the letter of wishes that Jamal left her in his will.
“Everything that I’m doing is based on his letter of wishes,” she explained. “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.”
The hub, Brenda said, embodies the spirit of Jamal’s life and vision. “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,” she reflected.
Established soon after Jamal’s passing by Brenda and her daughter Tanisha Artman, the Jamal Edwards Self-Belief Trust aims to support young people across the UK by fostering creativity and community engagement.
The new hub stands as a testament to Jamal’s enduring impact on music, charity, and the lives of young people.
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