Please take a moment to remember Sophie Lancaster. Because today, the 20-year-old young woman, who was beaten to death just because she liked piercings and dreads, would have been celebrating her 28th birthday.
Having worked with closely with the charity her mum, Sylvia Lancaster, set up shortly after she died, we’ve become come close to the family which forms the Sophie Lancaster Foundation – Stacey, Kate, Stacey, Odette et al – and have been privileged to hear stories and learn about the type of person Sophie was. Caring, challenging, full of passion, talented. She was going places.
And as we reflect on the person Sophie, who was about to embark on her University Art Degree, would be today, Sylvia, is keeping busy hosting the Sophie Lancaster Foundation’s first ever hate crime conference with an impressive number of high-profile speakers, from parliamentary advisory officials to the police, exploring ways of working together to challenge attitudes and create safer communities for alternative subcultures.
Since 2007, not long after Sophie’s tragic attack, Sylvia Lancaster, has worked tirelessly to change the law and a mindset in society for the ultimate protection of and an understanding of alternative subcultures and create a lasting legacy to her daughter. And boy, has she pulled it off.
From the charity’s ongoing successful partnership with top make-up brand Illamsaqua to advising on hate crime with the CID, the award winning film Dark Angel Propaganda created to raise awareness of Sophie story to Sylvia’s recent OBE for her groundbreaking achievements, and now the Hate Crime Conference… read all about it … the proof is certainly in the pudding.
But one thing we must remember, especially today, is Sophie and what her name now stands for – Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred & Intolerance. Everywhere.