Bench to be installed in Clydebank in memory of teenager

David Alexander, from Clydebank, sadly passed away aged 18 in October 2023.

The teenager had been an active member of Golden Friendships (GF) from November 2022 attending the charity’s Fun Club every Wednesday.

David Alexander (Image: Lorraine Trainer Alexander)

David's memorial bench (Image: Golden Friendships) Following David’s death members of the Dalmuir-based group decided to raise funds to go towards a memorial bench to keep his memory alive.

The handmade bench arrived in the town this week after being crafted by a company called Chainsaw Creations in Inverness.

It has been designed around the popular arcade game Space Invaders, something David really enjoyed.

Lorraine Alexander, David’s mum, told the Glasgow Times he will be “looking down in amazement”.

She said: “Myself and David’s dad Rab are really chuffed to bits. It’s the style that David would have loved, he just loved Space Invaders.

“My main purpose now is keeping David’s memory alive. GF meant so much to him and I just know he’ll be looking down in amazement at how well thought of he was and how much love everybody had for him.

“The people at GF are so loving and even now they’ll message to ask how we’re doing and to tell us how much they miss David.

“I’ve spoken to Jim McLaren [founder of GF] and we’ve got a QR code which I’ve asked to put on the bench, it’s called Forever Story.

“You scan it and set up the biography of the person’s life and you can put pictures and videos on it.

"People can also leave little tributes on it which helps keep his memory alive. We saw the bench after it arrived and it’s amazing.

"Even my mum and dad were getting so emotional seeing it.”

(Image: Golden Friendships) David’s bench will be installed within GF’s plot at the Dalmuir allotments at a later date. 

This location was chosen as the teenager had hailed the Nairn Place charity as his “second family”.

Lorraine added: “David struggled a lot with his social skills and he had gone to various clubs. In November 2022 we got in touch with GF and they said ‘Yeah bring him along and you can stay in the background’ so I did and he just immediately gelled with the club.

“Everybody was so welcoming and inviting, chatting away to him and giving him hugs. David had autism, Tourette’s, and ADHD.

“It was a bit of a struggle but he did so well. Joining GF you saw the confidence growing in him, it was really building.

“I think that’s what is hard for us, he was doing so well. He was very, very talented."

(Image: Lorraine Trainer Alexander) Jim McLaren, the founder of GF, explained that once the bench has been put in place the group hopes to hold a BBQ to open it officially.

Jim said: “When David passed away a lot of the members wanted to do something. We said we’d get a bench for David.

“His mum and dad said he loved Space Invaders so that’s what we went with for the design. We feel so honoured that it [GF] made a difference to his life.

“He’d said this club was like his second family. The members are getting the allotment tidied up just now after the winter and getting it ready.

"They’re making a nice space for it and then hopefully we’re going to have a BBQ and get the members down for a sort of official opening.

“David was a lovely boy, we’re over the moon with the bench.”