The family of tragic Ashley Woolley have today decided to celebrate what would have been the student's 19th birthday.
The 18-year-old was fatally stabbed in Oaklands Park on December 18, while on his way to college, leaving his friends and family devastated and a community shocked by the incident.
Ashley died less than two weeks shy of his 19th birthday, and his friends have bravely decided to go ahead with the party they had planned for him.
"His birthday will be hard. He would have wanted people to be happy and laughing, but it's hard not to be sad right now. But we want to have Ashley's party as he planned, and celebrate his life. We'd love to have him with us on his birthday but sadly he isn't," explained Ashley's dad Trevor Woolley, 45.
"My little Ash, it's amazing to see how many lives he touched, and is still touching.
"They had planned a big party and they are still going ahead with that. They asked me to go, and I'd love to because it's nice for me to see his friends.
"When I speak to all his friends I now see how much he was the life of the party. I bet he's up there now laughing his little head off."
As well as Ashley's friends continuing with the planned party, other members of Ashley's family visited the sea of flowers and cards that had been left outside Oaklands Park, adding birthday decorations to the tributes.
"We wanted to celebrate his birthday, and put up some balloons," explained Ashley's cousin Natalie Bliss, 25.
"The big thing is this is us saying 'happy birthday'. As upsetting as it is to come here and do it like this, I know he is up there and happy."
Ashley's second cousin Gail Bliss, 24, added: "He'd be smiling down saying 'cheer up, it's my birthday'."
"I said that even if it's raining we should come down here and do something for him, if it rained we just would have laminated the cards."
The family has previously thanked everyone for the outpouring of support, with tributes to the popular teen coming from his old school, The Boswells School, as well as Chelmsford College, friends and even strangers.
"The support has been a big help," Natalie said. "There are still people coming to Oaklands Park every day, people are still laying flowers here.
"It's only just starting to sink in, and sometimes it still doesn't feel real. I will always think of him as my smiley little cousin, but it's hit me that he'll never see his 21st birthday, we won't get to celebrate his wedding with him, we'll never see him have children.
"But I wanted to come here today, this is where I feel close to him, and we wanted to do something for his birthday."
