New zip wire opened in an Aylesbury Vale park as tribute to popular schoolboy who died aged eight

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A new zip wire has been opened in an Aylesbury Vale park to honour the memory of a schoolboy who lived in the area.

The mother of Dylan Mitchell, from Aston Clinton who died aged just eight, was the special guest as a zip wire was opened in tribute to her late son.

Dylan’s friends, from his former stomping ground, Aston Clinton School, were also invited to see the unveiling of the new equipment at Aston Clinton Park. His brother, Elliot Mitchell, and best friend, Sammy Blair, were given the honours of riding down the new wire for the first time, breaking through a pink ribbon, which represented Dylan’s favourite colour. Organisers also booked Spider-Man for the day, a nod to Dylan’s favourite superhero.

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Dylan passed away in 2020 after a long battle with cancer, he was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma when he was just two.

Spider-man trying out the new zip wireSpider-man trying out the new zip wire
Spider-man trying out the new zip wire

Dylan’s mother, Jess said in a speech at the zip wire opening on Thursday (5 September): “As Dylan's mum, I am so unbelievably proud to have been able to provide this zip wire, in memory of Dylan, for the local community to enjoy for years to come. The same local community who took Dylan to their hearts when we were crowd funding for treatment.

“Those that were lucky enough to have known and loved Dylan, you will know how kind, generous and caring he was. When we first started discussing what to do with the remaining crowd funding money, we knew with 100% certainty, that Dylan would want to give back to the community somehow. After a few false starts, the zip wire idea was born.

“Dylan spent many hours at the local parks and this one specifically. He absolutely loved zipping around in his kart chasing his brothers or playing tag. He also loved a good play park and would make a beeline for a slide or a zip wire. Providing a zip wire for Aston Clinton therefore seemed an obvious choice.

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“I would like to say that this would not have been possible without the help, support and generosity of the local community, the Turpin Charity, my family and friends and the parish council. I hope we can all enjoy this for many years to come. Thank you.”

Jessica Mitchell with special guests at the openingJessica Mitchell with special guests at the opening
Jessica Mitchell with special guests at the opening

Kompan constructed the new zip wire, and its sales manager Jerry Jarman attended, alongside Richard Maskell from the Turpin Charity which provided a grant towards the new activity cable. They were joined by children from Aston Clinton School and Barnowls Nursery.

Kompan also provided goody bags for the children who wanted a first glimpse at the new wire and the nearby Your Cafe in the Park supplied refreshments.

Since her son’s death, Jess has continued to raise funds for charities in memory of Dylan. She completed a fundraiser for Brain Tumour Research in 2022 and continues to update the crowdfunding page she created for Dylan when he was receiving treatment.

Jessica said on the Facebook page: “It was a lovely event and I know Dylan would have been thrilled to see so many children enjoying the zip wire.”

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