Fr Andrew Ebrahim SDB, from St John Bosco College, Battersea, writes about a very special event at the college

To mark the 25th anniversary of the death of Sean Devereux, his mother, Maureen Devereux, was invited to speak to all the sixth formers at SJBC. Mrs Devereux's down to earth but warm presentation of the life of her son and what drove him was inspiring to say the least. The sixth formers were completely engrossed by her talk, the video clips of his life and recollections of those who knew him.

As a school, we felt privileged to have Sean's mother come and share her memories of him with us. For any parent, the death of a child is probably the most tragic happening that can befall them. However, Mrs Devereux spoke with dignity and no trace of bitterness and in that we were able to glimpse the way in which Sean had been raised to be the remarkable young man that he was.

Our Deputy Head of Sixth Form said, "It was a truly moving and powerful talk, possibly one of the best guest speakers we have had. Students were mesmerised throughout, as was I. Maureen Devereux's strength and dedication to continue her son's work is nothing short of inspirational and the life of her son really puts the rest of life into perspective."

We are also grateful to Alan Lion, a friend of the Devereux family, for helping to make today possible.

Andrew Ebrahim SDB