Brianna Ghey: Warrington schools remember teenager

Brianna was found in Culcheth Linear Park on February 11 with multiple stab wounds, and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services.

Following the death of her daughter, Esther Ghey has been raising awareness of the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP).

Birchwood Community High School has honoured its former pupil with a number of activities and events (Image: Birchwood Community High School)

Esther says that it is important that young people learn to give themselves space to deal with all emotions – positive and negative – and that mindfulness practices in schools will help people to learn how to deal with those emotions.

It is hoped that dealing with emotions in a healthy way will prevent them from becoming dangerous to individuals and those around them.

Now, a number of schools in Warrington have signed up to MiSP, including Brianna’s former secondary school, Birchwood Community High School.

Speaking to the Warrington Guardian, the head teacher of Birchwood High, Emma Mills, says that if the town gets behind the project then ‘we can really make a difference in Warrington.’

Birchwood High held one of the town’s first fundraisers following the death of Brianna, who was a member of the trans community.

On March 31, around six weeks after Brianna’s death, the secondary school held its ‘Wear Pink with Pride’ day, in memory of the schoolgirl.

Brianna’s school held a ‘Wear it Pink’ day, recognising her favourite colour (Image: Birchwood Community High School)

Ms Mills explained that the school hosted a number of activities on the day, including:

‘How to be an ally’ session in form time
Release of bubbles on the playground
Everyone wore pink for the day
Pink slushy machines in school
Candy floss machine
Pink bake sale
Pink face paints, temporary tattoos and pink face jewellery
Unveiling of a cherry blossom tree planted in Brianna’s memory
Whole school assembly that included speeches from the headteacher and her friends
School choir performing ‘Just the Way You Are’ by Bruno Mars, ‘Allelujah’ by Leonard Cohen and ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’

Ms Mills said: “We would like Brianna’s legacy to be one of helping and supporting the young people of Warrington with their mental health for many years to come.

“If we can come together as a town to raise the money to train staff in as many of our schools as possible in mindfulness practices, then I believe that we are making this a reality.

“If anyone could donate to Esther’s fundraising page in order to help us achieve that, then we would be really grateful. The mental health of teenagers has taken a real dip since the pandemic, and they need our support more than ever.

“Hopefully we can really make a difference in Warrington by making sure our staff are equipped and trained in this way.”

Brianna’s mum Esther took part in the Great North Swim to help raise money for MiSP in her daughter’s memory (Image: Esther Ghey)

Recently, Esther Ghey spoke to the Warrington Guardian about her daughter, explaining that she was ‘very, very strong’ as well as being incredibly funny and ‘crazy.’

Taking to social media, Esther explained that this week should have been Brianna’s final week at secondary school.

According to Birchwood High, a number of schools have signed up to MiSP, including (but not limited to):