Outpouring of community support pays for Telford road victim Jayden's funeral
People in Telford raised thousands of pounds to pay for the funeral a nine-year-old local boy in an 'amazing' outpouring of community spirit, it was announced today.
Jayden-Lee McIvor, of Hurleybrook Way, Leegomery, died when he was in collision with a car on a pedestrian crossing in Haybridge Road, Hadley, on February 2.
Hundreds of people attended his funeral in Wellington on Friday.
Julie Duhra, who runs Jules Convenience Store on Haybridge Road, has been co-ordinating local efforts to help Jayden's family.
She said: "The whole of the funeral was paid for, the flowers, the family flowers and the wake. The way the people came together was amazing.
"I rang Jayden's mum and she said without the support of the people they could not have given him that send-off. They appreciate everything that was done.
"Everybody came together really, really well. It was the whole of Telford that came together.
"It wasn't just Hadley and Leegomery people, it was from everywhere."
The exact amount raised has not been made public but the funeral director confirmed that everything had been paid for.
Any money left over will be put towards Jayden's headstone.
The money was raised through collections at both Jules Store and the Kingfisher fish and chip shop. Mrs Duhra said volunteers had rallied round to raise the money and to help with the organisation of the funeral.
After the service on March 1 at Christ Church in Wellington, mourners returned to Telford Cultural Centre in Hadley for the wake, which was again paid for through fundraising and prepared by volunteers.
The cost of the cultural centre was subsidised by the Hadley Sikh community and Mrs Duhra said donations had still been coming in on the day of the funeral, although the collection was now closed.
Jayden's classmates from Millbrook Primary School were among the hundreds of mourners who joined Jayden's parents Rachael and Ross at the funeral. Many wore yellow or carried daffodils, his favourite flowers, and Mrs Duhra said there were also yellow flowers on the tables at the wake.
A 19-year-old man was arrested and bailed in connection with the accident.
