Southport chooses hope over hatred as it tries to heal after attack

The community has come together for vigils to remember the victims and a bubble blowing event, to help children “blow kisses to heaven” .

The town’s youth theatre performed Songs For Southport, which aimed to “make people feel there is hope and happiness”.

Deborah Bloom, co-director, said healing from the attack would “be a long and difficult process”.

“I’m not sure the town will ever be able to recover from this,” she said.

“Our children have been made to feel unsafe and it has shaken the whole community”.

She said the concert had given people “the ability to find a glimmer of light in what seems like eternal darkness”.

Other people in the town have found different ways to show their support in the weeks that followed.

A knitting group paid tribute with a post box top showing the girls as three angels and charity football matches and many fundraising events have been held for those affected.

Just a day after the knife attack, Southport residents were forced to pull together when the town’s mosque on St Luke’s Road, was targeted by rioters.

The disorder followed misinformation being spread online about the stabbing attack suspect.

Locals stepped up immediately to clear out the debris and rebuild a wall.

Ibrahim Hussein, Imam and chairman of Southport Mosque, said he felt a month on the community spirit in the town was “even more supportive than before”.