Julie Hesmondhalgh and Ian Kershaw

Our involvement with the fantastic Sophie Lancaster Foundation began in 2008, in a chance meeting with a close family friend of Sophie's, Kate Conboy (now at the heart of the Foundation's work) at the theatre. At the time, Julie was in Coronation Street, playing longstanding regular, Hayley Cropper, and Kate handed her a newly minted SOPHIE wristband and told her about the trial and Sophie's mother's commitment to setting up an organisation in her daughter's memory. Around two years later, we had an idea to set up and fund a creative writing competition for schools in East Lancashire and Greater Manchester, and, remembering the conversation with Kate, and having followed Sylvia's story since, we decided to hold it in memory of Sophie. We set the theme of Difference, and asked for poetry and prose pieces that had something to say on the topic. Difference, and the embracing and celebration of difference, seemed to us to be at the heart of the foundation's work. The act of combatting prejudice and hatred starts with the breaking down of the divisions between us that grow out of fear of the unknown: whether that unknown is ethnicity, sexuality, disability or simple appearance and dress: cultural identity and its unique expression.”

Our writing competition took place in 2011 and resulted in a beautiful book of young people's experiences of Difference in two age categories, and a fantastic evening at the Contact Theatre in Manchester where stars of the stage and screen read the winning entries, chosen by a panel of judges that included New Order's Peter Hook and the poet Simon Armitage. It was this evening that really cemented our commitment to and involvement with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, and we became patrons shortly afterwards. Julie has subsequently appeared as Sylvia in the award winning "Black Roses" on stage and screen, and Ian has written a Sony nominated play for Radio 4, Porcelain, about the trial of Sophie's killers.

We have seen the organisation grow and develop with wonder in these last few years as Sylvia and her co-workers have taken the message of love and acceptance into schools around the country, and as police forces have gradually started to recognise attacks on people from alternative subcultures as hate crimes, starting with the GMP in 2013.

We have never stopped being amazed at how Sylvia has turned her unimaginable grief into a force for good in the world, and kept her beautiful daughter's memory alive. Ten years on, her work in this field only strengthens and intensifies.

We are very proud to be patrons of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and to wear our SOPHIE wristbands every day as a reminder not just of a senseless death, but of the possibility of a better, more diverse and inclusive world in all its colours.

With love and solidarity,

Simon Armitage OBE

“Sophie was a young woman whose life was cruelly taken away. My first contact with the foundation was through writing poems for Black Roses. I saw my role here as giving Sophie back her dignity, her courage and her right to reply, though to write pieces in her voice was probably the biggest challenge and responsibility of my career. I thank Sylvia for inviting me on board and giving me the licence to imagine her daughter's thoughts and words. It is a privilege as a patron to play a small part in the great work that the Foundation continues to do.”

Susan Roberts

“I became involved with the Sophie Lancaster foundation after making the radio drama Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster for BBC Radio 4 , which went on to become a stage play and then a film which is now used to support the work of the foundation. Sadly, there’s a need to tell this story over and over again as we live in a society where intolerance of difference and prejudice against minorities is widespread. The foundation works tirelessly to challenge and change this, in schools, in our communities and beyond through education and communication. I’m proud to be a patron and to continue to support the amazing and important work of Sylvia and the team.”

Vicky McClure

“From such a tragedy in loosing Sophie, Sylvia & the SOPHIE Charity have made huge advances in hate crime and continue in the fight to stop hatred everywhere.Inspirational, determined and alternative.”

Juliet Landau

Actress: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Ed Wood

Director: Take Flight, A Place Among the Undead

“It is the 10th anniversary of Sophie Lancaster Foundation. These are ten years of life that Sophie did not get to live. I’m a patron of this cause because its values and the work done by the organization mean so much to me. People being cruel, destroying, hating, inflicting hurt and violence on other people is just not acceptable in anyway. Under no circumstances is this okay. Sophie died in the most senseless, brutal and horrifying way. Sylvia’s strength, passion and determination are an inspiration to me everyday of my life. We need a culture where compassion is the norm. We all want to change the world. Sylvia and the Sophie Lancaster Foundation are actually doing it.”

Rachel Austin

"When Sophie and Rob's story hit the news; it really shook me. Little did I know that some years later I would be part of sharing their story with thousands of people across the country. I am part of this journey because I believe everyone deserves to be treated equally and difference should be celebrated not stamped on. I never met Sophie but that girl has changed my life. Let's make this known."

Robin Ince

Why do I support SOPHIE?

Humans are complicated, humans can be tribal, there are so many ways of being deemed not to fit in, the work of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation helps show people that whatever you look like, however different you seem from the outside, the hopes, wants and needs of humans are more often thayt not the same. As Kurt Vonnegut wrote, "Godammit, you've got to be kind". We need more tolerance and understanding, and that is what SLF is all about.