The life and enduring legacy of 'inspirational and formidable' Sylvia Lancaster was celebrated with tears - and laughter - at her funeral. Sylvia campaigned tirelessly following her daughter Sophie's horrific murder in 2007 - devoting her life to a foundation in the 20-year-old's name which continues to promote tolerance and work to stamp out prejudice.
Mourners wearing pink armbands to honour Sylvia's insatiable love of the colour at the ceremony in Whitworth, near Rochdale, heard her described as a 'powerful life force' and an 'inspiration to so many'. The work of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation will go on - to 'strengthen and intensify the possibility of a better, more diverse and inclusive world in all of its colours'.
Sophie, who was attacked in Stubbylee Park in Bacup, Lancashire, because of her dress and appearance, died from her injuries almost two weeks later. Mourners were told Sylvia, who passed away in hospital on April 12 aged 69, was 'fired up to act' after Sophie's death and in doing so, she 'turned her unimaginable grief into a force for good in the world'.
