Mothers unveil memorial bench for knife victims
BBCA bench has been unveiled in memory of young people who have lost their lives to knife crime.
"This place is very special to me and I hope it will be for everyone else who needs this peace," said Tatiana Qureshi, whose son Temur Qureshi, 19, died after being attacked in Slough in September 2023.
She joined a group of mothers on Saturday for the unveiling at Stoke Poges Memorial Garden.
The group hope the bench will encourage young people to spend time in green spaces to reflect and express their emotions in a healthy way.
"This place was very special to Temur. It was actually his world," Tatiana said, adding that she felt a special connection to her son when she visited the garden.
"When he was having a tough time, when he didn't want to talk to anyone or just wanted to be by himself, he would always come here."
She described Temur as a selfless person and said she hoped the bench would provide comfort to others.
"It is not just for my son, it is for everyone," she added.
Temur's friends Aamash Qazi and Zak Rahman attended the unveiling and said he would have been "proud".
Aamash said Temur always strived to "make a difference" and would have been pleased to see the atmosphere of "love and connection" at the memorial event.
Zak said: "He's clearly made an impact on people and the community. The amount of people that are here is amazing."
"If you've lost a loved one to knife crime, you need to find a community like this," he added.
