Chelsea Foundation make £1m donation in honour of Jamal Edwards

Chelsea Foundation have announced they will donate £1m to the Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust, in memory of the entrepreneur who died suddenly aged 31 in 2022.

Edwards created SBTV, an award-winning platform for undiscovered musicians, which helped launch the careers of Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Jessie J.

He was a lifelong Chelsea supporter who worked with the club on numerous initiatives, including pieces of content with members of the club's squad.

For the £1m commitment, the club's foundation will help fund the Self Belief Sanctuary, a programme to house young people at risk of homelessness; and the Self Belief Community Hub, a community space in west London for people of all ages to come together, where staff members from the foundation will deliver workshops.

It will also fund 31 apprenticeships over a five-year period.

Barbara Charone, Chelsea director and trustee of the Chelsea Foundation, said: "We are thrilled to be partnering with the Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust in honour of Chelsea legend, Jamal Edwards.

"Jamal was woven into the fabric of our community at Chelsea and we feel his loss at our club every day. We are so honoured to be able to continue supporting the causes that mattered the most to him."

Edwards' mother Brenda said: "I know just how much Chelsea meant to Jamal and how from a young age he was devoted to the club. I wear Chelsea blue every day in memory of my son and we have also designed the JESB Trust Logo in the same colour. So I cannot think of a more fitting partnership."

Reece James and Millie Bright, captains of Chelsea's men's and women's teams, have also commented on the donation.

James said: "I was lucky enough to meet Jamal on a few occasions. He was a pillar of the community and touched the lives of so many people."

Bright added: "Jamal was one of the most humble and selfless people I've ever met. He touched the lives of so many and was taken from us far too soon."