Latest news with #ChurchtownPrimarySchool
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Southport victim's parents set up foundation to spread 'magic' in daughter's name
Alice da Silva Aguiar's parents say she found her love of dancing when she was just 16 months old, and danced non-stop - until her life was cruelly snatched away The parents of a little girl killed in the Southport attack want to spread "magic" through a foundation set up in her name. Alice's WonderDance will encourage children to dance just like nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar loved to - before she was killed last year. Alice died alongside Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Bebe King, six, when twisted teen Axel Rudakubana attacked children with a knife at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29. Now her parents Sergio and Alexandra Aguiar have set up the namesake foundation to help fund dance opportunities for other children and make dancing Alice's legacy. Alexandra said her daughter was just 16 or 17 months old when she found her passion and danced "non-stop" from then. She said: "Alice's WonderDance is a foundation we created in the name of Alice just to show everyone how wonderful Alice was. We just want to provide fun for children in the world of dance." She said the logo for the charity features ballet shoes and a magic wand to "spread the magic in her name". The grieving parents will raise money to fund dance classes at after-school clubs, dance uniforms for children or university funding for young dancers. Sergio is set to take on six marathons across the world to raise funds, starting in Berlin next month. He said: "Every mile I run is for her and her name. I just think about her." He ran the London Marathon earlier this year to raise money for a new playground at Churchtown Primary School, where Alice was a pupil. The couple said they have also received support from Elsie and Bebe's parents and have become a team which "helps and holds each other", Sergio said. Bebe and Elsie's parents have also set up charitable organisations in their daughter's memories known as Bebe's Hive and Elsie's Story. Mr Aguiar said: "We try to work together like a team, try to help each other." Family friend Sarah Buck told the programme the foundation is also selling merchandise, including T-shirts, bags and hats, to raise money.
Powys County Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Foundation set up in Southport victim's name to spread ‘magic'
The parents of one of the victims of the Southport attack hope to spread 'magic' through a foundation set up in her name to encourage children's love of dance. Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, was killed along with Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and six-year-old Bebe King when Axel Rudakubana, 18, launched his knife attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town on July 29 last year. Her parents Sergio and Alexandra Aguiar told BBC Breakfast on Wednesday they have set up the Alice's WonderDance foundation in their daughter's memory. Mrs Aguiar said her daughter began dancing when she was 16 or 17-months-old and danced 'non-stop' from then. She said: 'Alice's WonderDance is a foundation we created in the name of Alice just to show everyone how wonderful Alice was. 'We just want to provide fun for children in the world of dance.' She said the logo for the charity features ballet shoes and a magic wand to 'spread the magic in her name'. Money raised could go towards dance classes for after-school clubs, uniforms for children or university funding for young dancers, Mrs Aguiar said. Mr Aguiar is set to take on six marathons across the world to raise funds, starting in Berlin next month. He said: 'Every mile I run is for her and her name. I just think about her.' He ran the London Marathon earlier in the year to raise money for a new playground at Churchtown Primary School, where Alice was a pupil. The family said they have received support from Elsie's Story and Bebe's Hive – funds set up in memory of the other two victims. Mr Aguiar said: 'We try to work together like a team, try to help each other.' Family friend Sarah Buck told the programme the foundation is also selling merchandise, including T-shirts, bags and hats, to raise money.
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Diogo Jota's heartwarming message of support to father of Southport stabbing victim as he ran London Marathon in her memory
Late Liverpool star Diogo Jota has been characterised as a kind and humble soul in the hours since he died in a horrifying crash on a Spanish dual carriageway. But the 28-year-old forward's capacity for compassion was probably best exemplified earlier this year with a simple gesture of good luck for a fellow father - albeit one in a situation no parent would ever want to be in. Sergio Aguiar, the father of nine-year-old Southport stabbing victim Alice da Silva Aguiar, was gearing up to run the London Marathon in his daughter's memory, raising funds for a playground to be built in her name at her school. Running 26 miles is hard enough - not least in the tragic circumstances in which Sergio found himself. But in the weeks ahead of the marathon, late Liverpool and one-time Porto FC forward Jota took the time to prepare a special message for Sergio - which was broadcast to him as a surprise live on television. Appearing on BBC Breakfast in March, one month before the race, Sergio told the programme that he was raising the funds for Churchtown Primary School because it had been a 'second home' to her. 'People are so kind,' Sergio had said of the local community in Southport in the months after the shocking and devastating attack which unfolded last August. 'They come up to me and say, "Well done, the playground will be amazing".' However, he probably had not expected to hear from one of his heroes, whose name is emblazoned on a Porto FC shirt he keeps at home, as the interview ended. Jota, alongside fellow Portuguese footballer and Everton striker Beto, had prepared messages to be played to Sergio live on air. 'Many, many people are supporting you, from all walks of life,' presenter Charlie Stayt told him. 'You're going to hear from two people who have good-luck messages for you, two footballers you will know who are both Portuguese.' Jota - himself a father of three children - then appeared on screen. Filming from Liverpool's training facilities on his phone, he smiled warmly as he said: 'Hello Sergio, I just heard you were about to run the London Marathon for an amazing cause.' Raising his fist and grinning, he added: 'We are all with you here at Liverpool, so go on and do your best!' Beto, speaking in Portuguese, added: 'Beto here from Everton. I want to send you a message to wish you best of luck for the London Marathon. 'What you are doing is fantastic and we hope the training is going well. You have all of the support from everyone at Everton. Take care and best of luck.' Porto FC fan Sergio was gobsmacked to hear from one of his heroes, grinning as the messages were played out. He was lost for words for a few seconds as he was asked for his reaction. Smiling, he said: 'I didn't expect to hear from them. Jota is... because I'm a Porto fan, and he played for Porto, I have his t-shirt. I'm quite happy.' The Churchtown Primary fundraiser had a target of £250,000 when it was launched. As of today, it has raised £372,240 - and remains open to donations. Alongside the playground, it will also feature a library and a performance stage with a tribute to both Alice and bebe. Among the donors are the Prime and Princess of Wales, according to Jinnie Payne, the headteacher at the school. One anonymous donor contributed £10,000. Alongside David Stancombe, father of Southport attack victim Elsie Dot Stancombe, Sergio ran the London Marathon in April with the support of the nation behind them. Wearing a t-shirt bearing his daughter's face, he finished the gruelling race in four hours and five minutes, cheered on by friends and family, among them the parents of Bebe King. Writing on social media in the days after the marathon, he wrote: 'Still taking it all in... The London Marathon was one of the toughest challenges I've faced, but every step was powered by an incredible cause and the overwhelming support from all of you. 'Your cheers, messages, and love carried me through. Thank you from the bottom of our heart - we did this together!'
Edinburgh Live
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Kate Middleton and Prince William's 'secret' gesture that has heartbreaking meaning
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info In a touching tribute to the young victims of the tragic Southport stabbing, the Prince and Princess of Wales have extended an "incredibly generous" gesture. Following the devastating incident in July, where Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar, and Bebe King lost their lives during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, William and Kate visited the town to offer their condolences to the bereaved families and commend the emergency services for their response. In a remarkable show of resilience, David Stancombe and Sergio Aguiar, fathers of Elsie and Alice respectively, took on the London Marathon to fundraise for initiatives honouring their daughters. Their efforts aim to build a new playground at Churchtown Primary School, which both Alice and Bebe attended. READ MORE - BBC Breakfast's Jon Kay shares 'sad news' following death of 'extraordinary' man READ MORE - 'David Beckham of snooker' died at 27 after suffering one specific symptom Jinnie Payne, the headteacher of the school, joined the fathers in the marathon, united in their cause. Prior to the event, Payne shared on social media that the Royal couple had reached out with a supportive message for the marathon runners and contributed to the playground fund. (Image: INSTAGRAM) (Image: PA) She expressed her gratitude online: "On behalf of Churchtown Primary School, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales, for their incredibly generous donation to our Churchtown Playground fund. "Their kindness and thoughtfulness mean so much to our whole community as we come together to honour the memories of Alice and Bebe, two much-loved members of our school family. As Alice's dad Sergio, and I prepare to run the London Marathon today in their memory, we are deeply touched and encouraged by William's and Kate's support.", reports the Mirror. During a heartfelt visit to Southport last October, lasting 90 minutes, the Royal couple, William and Kate, engaged personally with families. This marked their first official joint outing since the conclusion of Kate's cancer treatment. Further reflecting their commitment, William and Kate made their way to the site of the heartbreaking incident, speaking with emergency personnel and healthcare workers to understand their experiences. To the responders, William said: "You're all heroes. Please make sure you look after yourselves, please take your time, don't rush back to work." In response to the day's profound encounters, the couple expressed on their Kensington Royal social media platforms: "Meeting the community today has been a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting one another in the wake of unimaginable tragedy." Reports indicate that although the visit was initially planned for William alone, Kate made the decision to accompany him, extending her solidarity with the people of the town. During her visit, the Princess of Wales, Kate, discussed the state of the grieving families, commenting: "They're okay. They're managing it differently. All the families are so different. Individually too they are managing it and processing this tragic event in very different ways, but they're getting support from families and officers and things like that." Following the Royal visit, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service's top officer, Phil Garrigan, revealed: "The Princess of Wales broke off and came back into the building to give a hug to the people who responded because she could see the emotion in them and could see it was difficult for them to relay their feelings and to say how impactful events have been. I think that just shows a really caring side and is very very touching for them." After the nefarious acts that led to the loss of three young lives, the perpetrator, Axel Rudakubana, faced justice when he was sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve a minimum of 52 years, his sentence handed down in January following his convictions for murder and attempted murder.
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Kate Middleton and Prince William's secret gesture in memory of Southport stabbing victims
The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Southport last year, weeks after a horrific stabbing attack claimed the lives of three young girls - and now it's emerged they've made an incredible gesture in their memory The Prince and Princess of Wales have made an "incredibly generous" gesture in memory of the young girls killed in the horrific Southport stabbing attack. William and Kate travelled to the town in the weeks after Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar, and Bebe King were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July to meet with their families and emergency services who responded to the attack. Yesterday, both Elsie and Alice's dads, David Stancombe and Sergio Aguiar, ran the London Marathon to raise money for projects in memory of their daughters. This includes creating a new playground at Churchtown Primary School, which was attended by both Alice and Bebe. Running alongside them for the cause was the school's headteacher Jinnie Payne. And before the race, she revealed on social media that the royal couple had been in touch to send a message of support ahead of the marathon - and also made a donation to the playground fund. She said: "On behalf of Churchtown Primary School, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales, for their incredibly generous donation to our Churchtown Playground fund. "Their kindness and thoughtfulness mean so much to our whole community as we come together to honour the memories of Alice and Bebe, two much-loved members of our school family. As Alice's dad Sergio, and I prepare to run the London Marathon today in their memory, we are deeply touched and encouraged by William's and Kate's support." William and Kate spent 90 minutes chatting with the families during a visit to Southport last October, which was their first official joint engagement since Kate's cancer treatment had ended. They also walked the short distance to the scene of the tragedy, where they met with emergency responders and health practitioners to hear their experiences. William told the responders: "You're all heroes. Please make sure you look after yourselves, please take your time, don't rush back to work." In a post to the couple's Kensington Royal social media accounts, they said: "Meeting the community today has been a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting one another in the wake of unimaginable tragedy." It's understood the visit had initially been for William to undertake alone before Kate decided to join as a show of support for the town. During the visit, Kate was asked how the bereaved families were coping, and replied: "They're okay. They're managing it differently. All the families are so different. Individually too they are managing it and processing this tragic event in very different ways, but they're getting support from families and officers and things like that." After the visit, Phil Garrigan, chief fire officer for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The Princess of Wales broke off and came back into the building to give a hug to the people who responded because she could see the emotion in them and could see it was difficult for them to relay their feelings and to say how impactful events have been. I think that just shows a really caring side and is very very touching for them." Killer Axel Rudakubana was jailed for life for the three girls' deaths - alongside the attempted murder of eight other children - and was handed a minimum term of 52 years in January. Get Royal Family updates straight to your WhatsApp! As the royals get back to their normal duties after a difficult year, the Mirror has launched its very own Royal WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news on the UK's most famous family. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
