Survivors of the Manchester Arena terror attack are channelling their own profound trauma into a groundbreaking initiative to support educators grappling with the aftermath of the Southport stabbings. In a powerful collaboration, young women who endured the 2017 bombing are now mentoring teachers from Sefton, sharing hard-won insights to help heal a community shattered by a separate atrocity.
From Shared Horror to Collective Healing
The project, a partnership between the National Emergencies Trust and Lancaster University, involves Manchester survivors running specialised support workshops for teachers. This direct peer-to-peer guidance aims to fill a critical gap, ensuring staff are better equipped to support children in the wake of unimaginable violence. The initiative was born from a simple, powerful desire: to prevent others from suffering the same lack of support.
For individuals like Leanne Lucas, a 37-year-old yoga teacher who was badly injured while helping children flee the Southport attack on July 29, 2024, this connection has been a lifeline. “Seeing where the Manchester girls are eight years on gives me a great sense of hope,” Leanne said. “A survivor’s support network is an important part of healing.” The attack, perpetrated by teenage knifeman Axel Rudakubana, claimed the lives of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar, and injured ten others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
Bridging the Gap in School Support
The workshops address a stark reality highlighted by the Manchester experience: schools are often on the front line after traumatic events but lack the necessary tools. Dr Cath Hill, who leads the Manchester survivors group Bee The Difference and is spearheading the scheme, explained: “Schools are left on the front line after these horrendous events and yet they’re not given the tools to navigate such a complex situation. What we’re trying to do is offer that hope using the power of lived experience.”
During the sessions, which have already brought together around 40 teachers, survivors led candid Q&A discussions. They shared common struggles, such as the trauma of repeatedly having to explain their absence for counselling, a lack of coordinated information between staff, and the misconception that quiet children are coping well.
Ruby Bradbourne, now 20, was just 11 when she attended the Ariana Grande concert targeted by suicide bomber Salman Abedi, which killed 22 and injured over 1,000. She recalled: “I had to tell every teacher where I was going. It was really triggering because I had to explain everything each time.” Alicia Taylor, 22, who was 13 during the Manchester attack, emphasised how non-visible trauma can be overlooked: “Schools often think the quieter children who don’t make a fuss are coping well, but I think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions.”
Building a Blueprint for Future Resilience
The impact on Southport educators has been transformative. Natasha Sandland, Bebe King’s former headteacher, now head of Sefton’s Virtual School, said hearing the survivors’ stories shifted focus from horror to forward momentum. “It stopped us thinking of the horror and instead focused on how we can move things forward,” she said. Inspired, she has created a ‘fact file passport’ for all affected children in Sefton, ensuring crucial information follows them even if they change schools.
With backing from Ikea and interest from the Department for Education, the project aims to expand. The goal is to create a sustainable blueprint for supporting children and educators in any UK community facing similar tragedies. “If something similar happens involving children and young people, my aim would be to have a group of people to go in when the time is right and do a similar thing,” Dr Hill stated. “Each time we meet and share knowledge, we’re creating this even better project which is there for the future.”
This remarkable peer-led initiative stands as a testament to resilience, proving that from the depths of personal tragedy can emerge a profound collective strength dedicated to healing and hope.
