‘They’re incredible people’… how cricket clubs are working with families to help the Southport victims’ legacies live on

Tributes in Southport Town Centre after last year’s horrific triple murder

As the first anniversary of last summer’s darkest moment nears, cricket clubs are helping to ensure the legacy of the Southport stabbing victims lives on.

The murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice Aguiar, nine, traumatised the town and the community, and its cricket clubs were no exception.

Southport Trinity is the closest club to the scene on Hart Street, and is hosting two events over the weekend with the aim of salvaging some hope from the horrors of last July.

Members of Bebe’s family are involved with the club, and will select teams for a memorial match on Friday evening.

This will be followed by a community day on Sunday to raise funds for two causes close to home – Alder Hey Children’s Charity and Bebe’s Hive, a community interest company set up with the aim of helping children cope with bereavement.

Mike Roberti, a player and coach at Trinity, said: “It’s a really worthwhile cause and one that’s close to our heart.

“One of the things we decided to do is to raise some money by running the community day on Sunday.”

The day will feature cricket matches showcasing Trinity’s junior section, along with another nearby side, Fleetwood Hesketh.

Roberti added: “We’ve got a whole host of other activities – stalls, games, fairground rides, bouncy castles, singers, entertainers.”

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Down the coast at Formby, and by pure coincidence, a sixes tournament is taking place on Sunday to raise funds for Elsie’s Story, a charitable trust set up by the Stancombe family.

Players from clubs including Southport & Birkdale and Hightown St Marys will be taking part – along with Elsie’s dad, David.

Formby’s Tom Mills knows the family and says David and wife Jen have found comfort in their charitable work.

He said: “The charity has absolutely taken off, it’s been brilliant for them. It’s been a great distraction.

“They’re using the money to fund lots of local projects and help people out around the Southport and Sefton area who are struggling in different ways.

“So for example, families around Christmas who are really struggling, they would buy them some Christmas presents.

“They’re funding community projects, like renovations of buildings that are going to be used for children’s activities and things like that.

“I never met Elsie, but she was a really outgoing, caring little girl. So they’re just trying to continue the way she was.

“Their aim is to tell her story for the rest of her life.”

Mills added: “I’ve got to know the parents quite well and they’re unbelievable – I don’t know if I’ve ever come across people who have been through such a tragedy and are so full of positive energy.

“They’re inspiring – they’re incredible people.”

Southport’s unity and strength in the wake of the atrocious killings, and the shameful riots that followed, was a bright spot amid the gloom.

Those qualities are still evident nearly a year on.

Thanking all the local businesses who have donated time and items to the event, Roberti said: “So many people have put so much work into organising and putting this together – it just shows you that when people work together, they can do good things. 

“It’s a positive that can come out of an unimaginable situation for the town and the area.”

from Merseyside Cricket Online https://ift.tt/tZ0yzKG