A bench has been installed on the premises of Jo Richardson Community School, in Dagenham in tribute to one of their former pupils, Jodie Chesney. She was stabbed while out in a park with her friends on a Friday night in March 2019. 

The school held an assembly on Tuesday (28 February) which ended with the unveiling of the memorial bench. It was led by Jodie’s father, Peter Chesney, who set up an anti-knife crime charity in his daughter’s name.

He said: “This bench will serve as a reminder for generations to come, of the wonderful, kind young woman Jodie was, and for that I’m eternally grateful.”

Jodie touched the lives of many who knew her. Passionate about photography, music and dogs, she achieved the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver awards and was just a few weeks away from completing her Gold.

Jo Richardson Community School’s Headteacher, Lisa Keane, said: “The news of Jodie’s death in March 2019 came as such a shock. Attending Jodie’s funeral and supporting her friends during that time was one of the hardest things I have had to do in my career. 

“Jodie was a kind respectful student. She had a good sense of humour and would always be there to help others. She had a lovely group of friends, and they were very close. She was hard working and achieved eight GCSEs at grade C and above. Jodie had a bright future ahead of her.”

Councillor Elizabeth Kangethe, Cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and School Improvement, said:

“I was pleased to see the Jo Richardson school community coming together for this tribute to Jodie. We must remember the significant contribution Jodie made in her life, and the promise for so much more that was lost because of a senseless and destructive act. 

“We are committed to continuing to work closely with our schools and reach out to students and parents to educate them about knife crime and prevent youth violence in Barking and Dagenham.”

Barking and Dagenham Council launched Lost Hours in August 2020, a campaign to tackle youth violence and anti-social behaviour, and its short film has had over 50,000 views.   

One of the aims of this campaign is to encourage parents to check in with their children and know what they are doing, particularly between the hours of 3pm and 7pm, when a peak in violence amongst young people has been observed.

This platform also offers support and advice for parents who might be worried that their child is being involved in or exploited by a gang.