Community raises over £10,000 for funeral of teenage gun-victim Shereka Marsh

Shereka Marsh was buried on Friday May 9. (Image: Archant)

The community helped raise more than £10,000 to help pay for the send–off of the popular 15-year-old schoolgirl who died nearly two months ago, after being shot in the neck at a house in Eastway, Hackney Wick.

Shereka Marsh on sports day at the Urswick School. (Image: Archant)

The prefect from Urswick School in Paragon Road, Hackney Central, who was due to take her GCSEs this month, was pronounced dead at the scene.

About 500 people gathered for her funeral in St John at Hackney Church in Lower Clapton Road on Friday.

Cllr Patrick Vernon said it was a “very powerful and moving send-off” and extremely sad to see Shereka’s mother Shyrine Marsh burying her only daughter.

“No parent should go through this,” he said.

Richard Brown, headteacher at The Urswick School spoke about how the schoolgirl had excelled in both sports and academia, and a moving video made by her school pals paid tribute to “the bubbliest girl in the world”, who was loving, warm and “always the first to make friends laugh”.

The Jamaican High Commissioner, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, who met Shereka when she showed him around her school just days before her death, sent a message of condolence, which was read out by Mr Brown.

“I remember her as an articulate, positive and energetic young person who spoke to me with great passion and excitement about her plans for the future,” she said.

“I fully understand how difficult this period must be Shereka’s family, friends and the entire Hackney Community.

“Please be comforted, however, by the fact she has left a lasting positive impact on those with whom she came into contact, including myself and the other members of my team who met her.”

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with her murder.