Jamal Edwards' family set up a charity to remember him
- Published
Jamal Edwards' family have announced they are setting up a charity to remember his work.
The Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust will "honour his memory and continue his legacy."
The 31-year-old SBTV founder died suddenly in February, with Dave, Ed Sheehan and Prince Charles leading tributes paid to the entrepreneur.
Jamal's mum Brenda - who's a Loose Women panellist - shared the announcement on her social media.
A statement explains more about the aims of the trust to support "causes that mattered most to Jamal", including combatting homelessness, supporting people with mental health issues and providing young people with essential life skills.
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"Every Christmas day for at least the last ten years, Jamal would spend the entire day helping out at a homeless shelter", the family say.
"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."
Jamal's family have set a fundraising target of £250,000 with several thousand already donated.
They say it will also go towards "programmes to help tackle mental health issues" as well as "specialised programmes designed to address issues of self-confidence and other psychological challenges".
Jamal became an ambassador for the Prince's Trust, a charity headed by the Prince of Wales, and in 2014 he was awarded an MBE for his services to music
Jamal was 15 when he got a camcorder for Christmas and started filming his friends rapping on the council estate he grew up on in Acton, west London.
In 2006 he set up SBTV - which stands for his own rap name SmokeyBarz - uploading videos of breakthrough talent to YouTube at a time when the platform was brand new, and rap and grime were unheard of in the charts.
By the age of 23, Jamal was a multimillionaire and channelled his success into helping others.
His family say the trust will carry his focus on "empowering youth" by "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".
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