The family of a young man who tragically died in a road collision are now supporting others through trauma and grief by creating a charity in his name.

The family of a young man who tragically died in a road collision are now supporting others through trauma and grief by creating a charity in his name.

Lean On Me – In Honour of Jesse Owen was set up by the loved ones of 18-year-old Jesse, who was one of three friends to lose their lives when the car he was driving crashed in Coedely, Rhondda Cynon Taf, in December 2023.

Jesse, alongside close friends Morgan Smith, also 18, and 19-year-old Callum Griffiths, were all killed in the crash – leaving their families devastated, as well as the wider close-knit community where they lived.

Despite their own grief, Jesse’s family were determined that everyone impacted by the tragedy should be able to find the support they needed – and particularly the younger generation, for whom expressing their feelings and emotions can be especially difficult. In February 2024, Lean On Me was born, and has grown to deliver support to whole families across the Rhondda area after the loss of loved ones. It has developed on a self-funded basis, supported by a group of committed volunteers.

The charity is led by Jesse’s mum Claire and step-mum Shazia, and the team also includes counsellors and psychotherapists to deliver much-needed support. It has recently moved into its own dedicated space in Tonypandy.

The charity offers a range of opportunities for people to engage – from informal opportunities such as ‘Walks and Talks’ sessions, workshops, coffee mornings and beach barbeques, through to 1-1 counselling, contrast therapy and art therapy. It also holds a range of events for the local community, with the annual Jessfest family fun day – held on the nearest Saturday to Jesse’s birthday, 23rd June – attracting over 2,000 people last year. This year, it will be held on Saturday 20th June.

“The loss of Jesse was indescribable. Grief is so different for everyone, and even from those early days, we really wanted to be sure that everyone was receiving the support they needed during such horrendous times,” says Claire.

“We wanted to help his friends and young people in the community initially, as mental health is such a difficult thing for children and teenagers anyway, but it has grown so much in such a short period of time. We now work with all ages, and in some cases we are working with whole families. We have also formed close relationships with some of the local schools, who now access our services.

“Grief can be very lonely and isolating, and we saw after Jesse died that some of his friends weren’t coming together, they were spending time apart, not supporting each other – but thankfully, that’s exactly where Lean On Me could help.”

Shazia continues: “The community has been behind us from day one and has been so supportive in what we are trying to do. We wanted to bring Jesse with us at every step, he was such a kind and positive person who was always there to support others, and as a family we wanted to honour his legacy and ensure that no one feels alone. The support is there, we wouldn’t want anyone to suffer in silence.

“We have created a whole range of ways for people who need us to get involved. Our Walks and Talks are an opportunity to say as much or little as you want, our counsellors are there too if you want to chat informally, but there’s no pressure. We just want to try and lighten the load for people, in whatever ways we can, during some of the most difficult times they’ll ever face.

“There is no cure to grief but there’s hope, and that’s what we want to give to others during their darkest times.”

Lean On Me is backed by law firm Slater and Gordon, who supported Jesse’s family during the trauma of the inquest into the boys’ deaths. The charity now signposts other families to Slater and Gordon’s team for specialist support in areas including family and employment law, serious injury, wills and probate, and medical negligence.

Clare Griffiths, senior associate at Slater and Gordon, says: “From the most devastating circumstances, they have built a charity which gives the opportunity to people of all ages to know they’re not alone in their grief and helps them find the support they need.

“Lean On Me is a perfect legacy for their beloved Jesse, who will be with them every step of the way on their journey. It’s a real privilege to be associated with these two amazing ladies and this brilliant charity, and to support them in helping even more people going forward.”