Tree planted in memory of Market Drayton schoolboy
A Shropshire school has added a new tree to its memorial garden to pay tribute to an inspirational teenage pupil who died last year.
The Grove School in Market Drayton held a memorial service for Jake Corser and revealed a new tree in his memory, to mark a year since he died after catching Covid.
Jake, who suffered from cystic fibrosis all his life, was 15 when he died, and last week he would have been celebrating finishing his GCSEs and leaving school with his classmates.
The garden has been created so the school can pay tribute to Jake and ensure his memory continues, and it contains a memory tree in the middle with a plaque on it, which reads: "In loving memory of Jake Henri Isaac Corser. Class of 2022. Missed by his family, school friends and all that knew him. Forever in our hearts, never forgotten."
When Jake died last year, the school created a GoFundMe page to help support his family with funeral costs, raising £5,263.
Juley May Corser, Jake's mother, said it was a 'fitting tribute' and thanked the community for all the support they have given her since he died.
"It was a good service, and it was a fitting way to pay tribute to Jake," she said.
"They connected the service to the funeral we had last year, and it was very similar.
"The support from the community has meant a lot to me. I was able to have white doves at his funeral, it enabled me to give him a proper send-off.
"The garden is nice, and they are going to keep adding to it over a period of time."
Jake was a keen gamer. He enjoyed playing on his PlayStation, and his mum said he had ambitions to work in video game retailer Game.
Due to Jake's condition, he spent a lot of time at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Here former Stoke City footballer Peter Crouch came to see Jake and give him his support.
Sonia Taylor, headteacher of the Grove School, said: "Jake was truly a light in our school. His spirit and unflinching positivity understandably meant that people were drawn to him and his loss was felt by every student.
"Jake had a gift of being able to speak 'on a level' with both staff and students, meaning that he shared his eternally optimistic approach to life with all in the school.
"The unveiling of the tree and plants for Jake represent the charities which worked with his family, and they ensure his memory will flower each year.
"The creation of our garden was only possible through the hard work of our site team and students at the school.
"Donations and kind support were provided by Hales Sawmills, Morrisons (Market Drayton), Bridgemere Garden Centre and contributions from staff at The Grove."
