Jaidyn Rice: One of Bangor's great future leaders lost with tragic road death of 16-year-old, says community worker
Bangor has lost one of its great future community leaders with the tragic death of Jaidyn Rice at just 16 years old, a major local figure has said.
Jaidyn was killed on Tuesday night, struck by a car as she walked on the Co Down seaside city’s West Circular Road.
Bangor has been plunged into a stunned mourning since, scarcely able to believe that such a vibrant, promising and inspirational young life has been taken.
The teenager was heavily involved in both youth work and her local community, volunteering around the city’s Clandeboye estate, was an army cadet, had just started her first job and was renowned for her tight family relationships – especially the younger brother she adored.
Her death has staggered the wide circle of people who knew her, from close friends to fellow volunteer workers to people helped by her kindness and dedication.
As Louise Little, manager of North Down Community Network, told the News Letter, that included passers-by who found themselves getting into trouble.
“A couple of months ago, Jaidyn was in the youth club when an older gentleman coming past tripped and fell, landing quite hard,” she said. “Jaidyn ran over; she was the first one on the scene, putting first aid training she’d had in the army cadets to use. She made sure he was looked after and saw to his cuts.
“Jaidyn really was someone all the younger ones could look up to. She was going to be a great community leader, you just knew by watching her.”
Louise first met Jaidyn through the DICE Project, a youth futures programme run by North Down Community Network.
She first came through the door very young, remembers Louise, attending the DICE youth club as one of many ordinary kids there to socialise – but Jaidyn got more and more involved in helping to run the events and graduated into mentoring positions.
“She became one of our inspirational young leaders,” says Louise. “Full of hope, potential, wisdom and joy, she was a beautiful young person, inside and out.”
DICE runs talking sessions for young people dealing with their issues and according to Louise, Jaidyn was invaluable – always first to get the conversation started and open space for others to unburden themselves.
"She was very emotionally intelligent, she could always tell when someone was having issues in their relationship or at school or at home, and invite them to open up,” she said. “They always knew they could talk to her.
“This year Jaidyn finished classes in a leadership programme, we knew she would really stand out in that role – it was her ambition to work with young people.
“We knew that she’d be one of the people we could hand the keys to the youth club to in 10 years and say ‘here you go guys, it’s your show now’ and watch them fly.
“Sixteen years, it’s not long enough. For Jaidyn to have achieved all that she did, to inspire as many as she did, is testament to her character.”
A tribute released by the army cadets said the teenager will be “fondly remembered as an exceptional young leader [who] exemplified the values and standards” of the force, and was renowned for “her vibrant sense of humour, and the positive influence she had”.