LAST December Jayden Parkinson’s loved ones were told the teenager’s body had been discovered, days after she had gone missing.

Now, her mother Samantha Shrewsbury has backed a project to create a place where they can remember the Didcot Girls’ School pupil.


Jayden was just 17 when she was murdered by ex-boyfriend Ben Blakeley in countryside south of the town in December last year.

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Her body was found in the grave of his uncle Alan Kennedy in the graveyard at All Saints’ Church in Didcot on December 18.

A memorial garden near the church will open next year in Foxhall Road, Didcot, and will include a bench, edible flowers and a stone plaque.
The land has been provided by Soha Housing Ltd, while charity Aspire Oxford – which provides work opportunities for the disadvantaged – will provide labour.

It will be across the street from the church where Jayden’s body was found and where flowers were left when the news broke.


Mrs Shrewsbury said: “It is going to be better for her friends. It is a nice place for them to go and talk to her on the anniversary rather than leaving flowers outside the church.
“It will be for everybody to remember her rather than at the church. This will be her space, her place.”

She said of the church: “I don’t like going past there, it holds a lot of bad memories for me, but that garden will be a good thing.”

Mrs Shrewsbury said of the edible flowers: “She liked things like that, she was a bit quirky.”
Jayden’s funeral took place in her former home town of Cheriton, Kent.
Didcot’s Bethany Ray, 17, a secondary school friend of Jayden, worked with Soha after discussing the idea with Mrs Shrewsbury.

She said: “We can’t go and see her whenever we want to.
“It is her place – we can go there to be with her.”
Aspire, a social enterprise for placements and employment for people who face barriers to work, will donate skills and materials.

Chief operating officer Ian Adshead said: “The timetable for the project sees it starting in January and taking up to a month.
“It will be split into chunks so each of Jayden’s friends who said they wanted to be involved can take on a little bit.
“This means people can put in as much time as they can commit to, without any pressure, but all under our oversight and guidance.”

Soha estates and neighbourhoods manager Jane Cox said: “We are delighted to be working with Aspire Oxford. The team will leave Soha with an easy-to-maintain memorial garden.”

Bicester Advertiser: Jayden Parkinson

  • Jayden Parkinson was murdered a year ago

Blakeley was found guilty of murder at Oxford Crown Court in July and sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 20 years.

Jayden left One Foot Forward hostel in Iffley Road, Oxford, at about 2.30pm on December 3. About an hour later she left to meet Blakeley at Oxford train station to go to Didcot Parkway and they then took a taxi to Park Road at the edge of town.
It is thought Jayden met him to tell him she was pregnant.

Blakeley’s younger brother Jake, accused of preventing a lawful burial, will be tried in January.



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