The Sophie Lancaster Foundation has always meant a lot to us. I was 11 when Sophie tragically passed away, and I was just about to start high school; I had a gothic style, and I would be going to a new place every day with none of my existing friends, and it scared me due to Sophie’s story. I considered hiding my interests and my style, but in the end, I decided to be true to myself. I did get nasty comments, and I did get threats throughout my teenage life.
The Sophie Lancaster Foundation gave me hope that future generations would not receive the same treatment that I did, or indeed, the treatment Sophie received. I’m in my mid 20s now and I still have a standing order with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation so that I can contribute a little something every month to show my support. From the times I’ve met Sylvia at various events, I know just how much work is being done at the charity, and I appreciate it, just as many others do.
My husband Jack and I got married on Halloween in 2020. Due to the covid-19 restrictions, we only had a very small and limited civil ceremony, but it still fit our gothic style perfectly. A year later in 2021, we were able to have our ‘big wedding’, with our religious ceremony (I am Pagan), followed by a big wedding reception. Instead of wedding gifts, we asked for donations to The Sophie Lancaster Foundation. We already have everything we need, but the charity still needs the financial support to spread such a powerful message.
We set up a donation pot on a table with our guest book and any amount was gratefully received.
My aunty is also big into crochet – she is very creative with the products she makes and sells her work to raise money for charities. For Halloween 2021, she made some beautiful little bats and pumpkins which sold well, and then handed me the money she raised from those to add onto our wedding donations for S.O.P.H.I.E., which we are grateful for.
Even today we are still getting retrospective donations from wedding guests who couldn’t give us it on the night, and we will continue to donate what we can too. We are so happy we were able to use such an event to raise money for something so important.
