Today marks the eighth anniversary of the death of Sophie Lancaster, killed for dressing in her own unique way, daring to look ‘different.’ Since Sophie‘s death, her mother Sylvia has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of prejudice against subcultures through campaigning and charity work with The Sophie Lancaster Foundation. Today Sylvia has been praised by the Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd for her efforts to combat hate crime. Read more at this location.

The official Sophie Lancaster Foundation Facebook page have stated: “RIP Sophie. . 8 years on your legacy is changing lives. X“

This is the description of the Foundation in their own words:
“Since Sophie’s death on August 24th 2007, following the horrific attack on her and her partner Rob in Stubbeylee Park, Bacup, Lancashire, we have had lots of kind offers of support and donations. Sophie and Rob dressed in their unique way, expressing their individuality as creative artistic people.

After consulting family and friends, we felt that a charity should be set up in Sophie’s name. The charity, known as The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, will focus on creating respect for and understanding of subcultures in our communities.

It will also work in conjunction with politicians and police forces to ensure individuals who a part of subcultures are protected by the law.”

The Foundation became a registered charity in 2009 (number 1129689). The following are their aims:

• To create a lasting legacy to Sophie.
• To provide educational group-works that will challenge the prejudice and intolerance towards people from alternative subcultures.
• To campaign to have the UK Hate Crime legislation extended to include people from alternative subcultures or Lifestyle and Dress.

“So far, to meet these aims and objectives we have promoted the Foundation nationally and internationally, ensuring Sophie is recognised in the media and elsewhere. This has involved Sylvia Lancaster being interviewed many times for TV and Newspapers and many magazines have included features on Sophie’s death and the work of Sylvia in setting up the Foundation. Including a “Tonight With Trevor McDonald” special.

The partnership with Illamasqua and Propaganda has proved invaluable and The Foundation is proud to work with them. Their profile in the beauty and business world has carried the work of the Foundation into new areas and brought new supporters and collaborators to join us.

For more information and to give your ongoing support to this cause, please visit the official Facebook page at this location and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation official website at this location.

REST IN PEACE SOPHIE

STAMP OUT PREJUDICE, HATRED AND INTOLERANCE EVERYWHERE

Sophie Lancaster was attacked in a park in Bacup, Lancashire, in 2007

Sylvia Lancaster, the mother of Sophie, who was murdered for being a goth is calling on police forces to start recording attacks on people from alternative sub‑cultures as hate crimes.

Sophie aged 20, was kicked and stamped upon as she cradled her injured boyfriend, Rob Maltby, when they were viciously attacked by a group of youths in a Lancashire park in 2007.

While he survived the attack, she died in hospital 13 days later. Two boys were later jailed for life for her murder.

Ahead of the eighth anniversary of Sophie’s death, her mother, Sylvia, will make an impassioned plea for goths to be given “equal status” in law as other minority groups are. “I want every police force in the country to take steps towards giving goths and people from alternative sub-cultures the recognition they deserve under the law and for attacks on them to be recorded as hate crimes,” she told The Independent.

“Some forces say it would mean changing their systems and others say these issues don’t happen in their area, but the reality is that all areas of the country have these issues. The fact that people do not report this type of crime at the moment doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.”

Ms Lancaster said that “people from alternative cultures are not going to report these cases at the moment because they don’t feel they are going to be taken seriously. Changes need to be made to give them the confidence to contact the police.”

She will make her plea in a talk at the University of Manchester’s Neo-Gothic John Rylands Library, where a major art exhibition, Darkness and Light: Exploring the Gothic, is opening. Greater Manchester Police was the first force in the country to begin recording the attacks in 2013. Seven police forces in England and Wales now report these cases as hate crimes, but it is understood an eighth force is also expected to start monitoring them soon. One force, Warwickshire Police, told The Independent it had six cases in 2014 and another six cases so far this year for hate crimes where the victim was recorded as having an “alternative culture and lifestyle”. Another force, West Mercia, said it had 29 cases in 2014 and 18 cases so far this year.

Sylvia Lancaster, who was awarded an OBE last December for her work to tackle hate crime, said: “We always knew that Sophie was different. She never liked dressing up and always wore grey T-shirts and grey sweat pants.

“As she got older and met similar people, she just blossomed. She was a good girl. She was very intelligent and she read voraciously.

“What happened was just so completely shocking. Even eight years on, it seems as though it just happened yesterday.”

For more information check out the official Sophie Lancaster Foundation Facebook page here.

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation have announced that Sylvia, Sophie‘s mother, has been awarded an OBE:

“Sylvia has been honoured in The Queen’s Birthday Honours List .. her OBE is for “Community Cohesion and Reduction in Hate Crime. This accolade is in memory of Sophie and shared with everyone who has supported Sylvia’s work. THANK YOU SYLVIA ..we are proud to “stand with you” x“

Since Sophie‘s death, her mother Sylvia has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of prejudice against subcultures through campaigning and charity work with The Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

This is the description of the Foundation in their own words:
“Since Sophie’s death on August 24th 2007, following the horrific attack on her and her partner Rob in Stubbeylee Park, Bacup, Lancashire, we have had lots of kind offers of support and donations. Sophie and Rob dressed in their unique way, expressing their individuality as creative artistic people.

After consulting family and friends, we felt that a charity should be set up in Sophie’s name. The charity, known as The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, will focus on creating respect for and understanding of subcultures in our communities.

It will also work in conjunction with politicians and police forces to ensure individuals who a part of subcultures are protected by the law.”

For more information and to give your ongoing support to this cause, please visit the official facebook page at this location and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation official website at this location.

REST IN PEACE SOPHIE

STAMP OUT PREJUDICE, HATRED AND INTOLERANCE EVERYWHERE