03 December 2023 , 10:30
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A charity campaign in memory of Brianna Ghey has raised a huge £25,000 – and hopes to help teachers provide more mental health support for children.
The Peace in Mind campaign was launched on September 7 and is hoping to send teaching staff based in Warrington, where Brianna lived, on training courses arranged by the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP). After teachers have raised concerns regarding the mental wellbeing of their students following the Covid-19 lockdown, the courses aim to better prepare teachers to support the students and deal with any challenges.
It comes as two teenagers stand trial for the murder of Brianna Ghey, the 16-year-old British transgender girl who was stabbed to death in a Warrington park on February. Esther, Brianna’s mother, is spearheading the project along with local newspaper the Warrington Guardian. It has been supported by local organisations including Warrington Wolves, Warrington Borough Council, the Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation, and charities such as Treasure Your Wellbeing and State of Mind.
Brianna was stabbed to death in a park on February 11, 2023 (MEN Media)Andy Carter MP, Charlotte Nichols MP, and singers Boy George and Sam Smith have also promoted the campaign. Local businesses are getting involved too, after Birchwood Shopping Centre, Sam Small Ink and other businesses donated to the fundraiser.
On November 7, on what would have been Brianna’s 17th birthday the town of Warrington engaged in a ‘Wear Pink for Peace’ day - where schools and businesses across Warrington wore pink and raised thousands of pounds for the Peace in Mind campaign. One particularly large donation of £7,000 to the campaign came from a number of schools across Warrington.
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Peter Spooner, Brianna's father, arrives at Manchester Crown Court with his partner (PA)Tom Bedworth, a community reporter for campaign organisers the Warrington Guardian, described its success as “mindblowing” and demonstrating Warrington’s “community spirit”. Bedworth said: "It is mindblowing that we have crossed the halfway point of our fundraiser already.
"This achievement is a testament to the community spirit of Warrington and further afield, and proves how important the wellbeing of our schoolchildren is, and that it should be a priority. We can't thank everyone enough for donating, sharing our campaign on social media, and hosting brilliant fundraising events." To donate to the campaign, visit the fundraising page here.