Last week, Sylvia Lancaster, the mother of Sophie Lancaster, died suddenly in Royal Blackburn Hospital.
The heartbroken mother set up the Sophie Lancaster foundation after her daughter’s tragic murder in 2007 and has made a difference to thousands of people's lives with her campaign work and the educational sessions she delivered in schools.
Sylvia was also pivotal in changing the definition of alternative subcultures – a definition that proved vital in incorporating attacks like that to her daughter to be classified as a hate crime.
Sylvia was awarded an OBE and has had a huge number of successes in her work, touching the heart of many people within the community she represents.
Here is the story of Sophie’s tragic murder and the creation of the Sophie Lancaster foundation.
Sophie’s murder
On August 11, 2007, Sophie Lancaster, 20, and her boyfriend Robert Maltby were walking through Stubbylee Park in Bacup, at about 1.10am, on their way home.
The pair came across a group of teenage boys who started to attack Robert, kicking him in the head and knocking him unconscious.
Trying to protect her boyfriend, Sophie cradled Robert’s head in her lap, at which point, the group moved their vicious attack onto her.
A 15-year-old witness told police: "They were running over and just kicking her in the head and jumping up and down on her head".
One witness used a mobile phone to call for emergency services saying: "We need... we need an ambulance at Bacup Park, this mosher has just been banged because he's a mosher".
Police said that it was "a sustained attack during the course of which the pair received serious head injuries and their faces were so swollen we could not ascertain which one was female and which one was male".
"Sophie was an individual. She was an intelligent young girl and always marched to her own beat." - Sylvia Lancaster paying tribute to Sophie
Both were hospitalised as a result of the attack. Maltby's injuries left him in a coma and with internal bleeding.
Although he gradually recovered, he lost memory of the time leading up to, and during, the attack.
Sophie, who was in a deep coma, was placed on life support and moved to Fairfield General Hospital in Bury.
She was moved again to Hope Hospital, now Salford Royal Hospital, where it was determined that she would never regain consciousness.
On August 24, 2007, 13 days after the attack, her life support was terminated, and Sophie died.
Investigation and trial
Five teenagers were arrested for the attack, however, further investigations showed that up to fifteen people were in the park at the time who may have witnessed the incident or been involved.
The police later said there would be no more arrests as they had no further reason to believe any of the others in the park were involved with the attack.
The police identified the gothic dress of the couple as a possible motivation for the attack.
"I am convinced Sophie was killed simply because of the way she looked; because she did not necessarily conform to the ideals of those who took her life." - Sylvia Lancaster after the death of her daughter
All five boys pleaded guilty to the charge of grievous bodily harm with intent, Ryan Herbert pleaded guilty to murder, Brendan Harris pleaded not guilty to murder.
During a trial, a jury found Brendan Harris guilty of murder, and the judge allowed the names of both Harris and Herbert, which had been withheld during the trial, to be made public.
Harris and Herbert were sentenced to life imprisonment with the trial judge recommending that Harris should serve at least eighteen years and Herbert at least sixteen years and three months.
Joseph and Danny Hulme, and Daniel Mallett, who had all earlier pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent on Maltby, were also jailed.
Herbert has now been released from prison, less than 15 years after the attack, having made "exceptional progress" in jail.
The Sophie Lancaster Foundation
After the tragic death of her daughter, Sylvia Lancaster set up a foundation in her honour.
Her daughter's name, Sophie is used as an acronym, standing for ‘stamp out prejudice, hatred and intolerance everywhere'.
The foundation has spent a lot of time visiting schools and speaking with children about Sophie’s story.
The objectives of the foundation are to create a legacy for Sophie, provide education to challenge prejudice and intolerance to people of alternative subcultures, and campaign to have the legalisation of hate crime to be extended to people of alternative subcultures – something which was successful.
The first ‘Make a Noise’ event was held on November 26, 2007, for Sophie on what would have been her 21st birthday.
The event was held as it seemed clear that celebrating and making a noise for Sophie was a more appropriate way to remember her than by having a minute’s silence. It became an annual event.
In 2008, Sylvia is approached by Julian Kynaston, who was setting up a makeup brand Illamasqua.
After speaking of his support for the foundation, Julian funded Sylvia’s work. This has been said by the foundation to be what really got it going.
In 2009, Sylvia meets with then justice minister, Jack Straw, to discuss alternative subculture as a hate crime strand.
“People from alternative cultures and their families need to know that there is protection in the law. We need to make sure that the memory of Sophie, and what happened to her, is never forgotten." - Sylvia Lancaster after her meeting with Jack Straw
In the same year, the Sophie Lancaster Foundation became a registered charity and Bloodstock Festival renamed its second stage The Sophie Lancaster Stage – it has held that name ever since.
In 2010, Sylvia was made a member of the cross-party hate crime Independent Advisory Group to the UK Government.
The year also saw the first broadcast of Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster, a poetic sequence written for Radio Four by Simon Armitage.
Two years later, a stage play of the same name opened at the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre.
In March 2013, Sylvia, Professor Jon Garland and Dr Paul Hodkinson published a formal definition of ‘alternative subculture’.
The definition proved vital, with just one month later, Greater Manchester Police became the first authority to record and monitor hate crimes and incidents against people from alternative subcultures.
“It is a very proud day for me personally and the rest of the team. It is a validation of the work we have undertaken in the past five years.” - Sylvia Lancaster
In May 2014, The BBC film of Simon Armitage’s ‘Black Roses The Killing of Sophie Lancaster’, directed by Sue Roberts, premiered at The Dancehouse, Manchester.
The film saw Julie Hesmondhalgh reading the words of Sylvia. The pair became friends during this period, with Julie having worked very closely to support the charity.
In November of that year, The Sophie Lancaster Foundation held the world's first Alternative Hate Crime Conference.
Sylvia was awarded an OBE by Prince Charles on December 11, 2014, at Buckingham Palace as recognition of her work in ‘community cohesion - especially in the reduction of hate crime’.
Ten years after Sophie’s death in 2017, BBC film ‘Murdered for being different’ is released, later receiving a BAFTA for Best Single Drama.
In 2018, Sylvia received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bolton and the following year, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Surrey.
"It is just unbelievable what we have achieved, and the work we have done in education. It is fantastic to see the change we are making. I would never ever have thought we could change things in the way we have." - Sylvia Lancaster after being awarded the honorary doctorate from Bolton Univertisty
The coronavirus pandemic hitting in 2020 made it difficult for the foundation to visit schools, so much of the work was moved online, with video calls set up to allow the foundation to keep telling Sophie’s story.
In May 2021, Coronation Street characters Seb Franklin and Nina Lucas are brutally attacked. A mirror image of the attack on Sophie and Robert.
The show worked closely with Sylvia to tell Sophie’s story, with Mollie Gallagher being awarded an NTA for her role in the storyline.
Last month, Sylvia spoke out about the release of Ryan Herbert saying she was "conflicted" on any thoughts of her daughter’s killer.
Sadly, on April 12, 2022, Sylvia Lancaster died in Royal Blackburn Hospital suddenly after suffering with an illness.
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