The Price of Wales has honoured Sylvia Lancaster, founder of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation in her daughter’s memory, for her work stamping out hate crime.
Sylvia Lancaster and her OBE
The mother of Sophie Lancaster, murdered by a gang who attacked her and her boyfriend, said her OBE is a ‘validation’ of all those young people targeted for looking or dressing differently.
Sylvia Lancaster said: “He talked about Sophie, and about gang culture I’m sure she would be proud. To be here, and we can talk about it, cant we? –You’re here in Buckingham Palace – it’s very special…It’s not just about the work that we do, it’s a validation of the work that we do and of the alternative subcultures as well.”
Sophie was 20 when, in 2007, drunken teenagers in a park in Bacup attacked her and her boyfriend, Rob Maltby because of their alternative appearance.
Sophie and Rob
Rob survived the attack but Sophie, who was kicked and stamped on as she cradled her injured boyfriend never regained consciousness and died in hospital 13 days later.
Sylvia said she hoped her charity, which aims to challenge prejudices towards people from alternative subcultures and campaigns on hate crime legislation, would offer troubled youngsters hope.
Small Girl in a Big World 