Esther Ghey on one year of her Peace in Mind campaign

Nobody in Warrington will forget the horrific events that unfolded in February 2023, when 16-year-old Brianna Ghey was brutally murdered in a park in Culcheth.

It was a normal Saturday afternoon for everyone in Warrington, until it suddenly wasn’t. The events of that day showed the worst of humanity; two teenagers lured Brianna to Culcheth Linear Park, before distracting her and stabbing her to death.

Warrington came together; we cried together, mourned together, and stood together. Thousands turned out to vigils across the town, and hundreds paid their respects at St Elphin’s for Brianna’s funeral.

In the months following those events, Brianna’s mother, Esther, began speaking with the Warrington Guardian about commemorating her daughter, and raising money for good causes.

Esther met with the Warrington Guardian’s then-Community Reporter, Tom Bedworth, about an article to raise awareness for her participation in the Great North Swim 2023 to raise money for the Mindfulness in Schools Project – a charity aiming to provide mental health support for schoolchildren. After the meeting, Tom suggested that Esther join forces with the Warrington Guardian, and a campaign was born: Peace in Mind.

The campaign launched on September 15, 2023, and was launched with the aim of getting the Mindfulness in Schools Project rolled out to every school across Brianna’s hometown, with the objective of training around 100 schoolteachers to deliver mindfulness practices to students. Since then, the campaign has raised almost £90,000.

Speaking to the Warrington Guardian ahead of the campaign’s anniversary, Esther said: “I think that the amount of support that we’ve received from the local community has been absolutely overwhelming. I knew that there was good in people, but I didn’t realise how much. Everybody has donated their time for the cause, as well as money.

“People have been so willing to give – the amount of donations people have been willing to give, especially with the rising cost of living, has been incredible. I’m constantly surprised by the kindness of people.”

Reflecting on the events of the last 12 months, which included meeting politicians in Westminster, numerous TV appearances, public speeches, and fundraisers, Esther added: “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind. We’ve met Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, we’ve been down to Parliament.

(Image: Meeting Sir Keir Starmer at Westminster)

“We’re at a really amazing point for the Warrington project. 100 teachers have signed up to the training; some have completed it and some are waiting to start. We’ve decided to use Warrington as a pilot scheme and look at how we can do this best for a national rollout.”

When the campaign was launched 12 months ago, there were a number of key stakeholders involved in the rollout: Esther herself, the Warrington Guardian, Warrington Borough Council, the Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation, Birchwood Community High School, and both of the town’s MPs.

Leader of Warrington Borough Council, Cllr Hans Mundry, reflected on the anniversary of the campaign, saying: “We continue to be inspired by Esther’s vital campaigning work. She is building an important and lasting legacy in memory of Brianna. Esther’s work is helping to support the vision for a more empathetic, safe and kind society.”

Reflecting on her ambitions for the campaign, Esther said: “I don’t think we’ve done enough. We’ve almost covered Warrington. Although it’s Brianna’s hometown, Warrington is still one town in the rest of the country.

“The fact that we’ve managed to get over 100 teachers signed up to the training is great, and we’ve raised so much money for Warrington, too. I would have liked to have rolled it out to wider areas, and this is something I’m hoping we’ll be able to do. It’s great for Warrington, but I don’t feel like any child should miss out.”

A common criticism of Esther among those involved in the campaign is that she will rarely, if ever, give herself any form of recognition for the effort that she’s put into the project.

(Image: Tom at Esther with Charlotte Nichols and Emma Mills at Westminster)

Tom Bedworth, former reporter at the Warrington Guardian, said: “Although lots of us have helped with the organisation of the campaign, and all of the details, Esther really is the beating heart of the campaign. I could talk for hours about the campaign, but nobody wants to hear from me – everyone, rightly, wants to hear from Esther.

“In the beginning, Esther and I hatched the campaign over a coffee in a café in Birchwood. We were talking about hopefully getting around 100 teachers in Warrington enrolled on the training courses within about five years. And now that’s been achieved within 12 months. It’s incredible.

“It’s also frustrating that Esther works so hard on this campaign, and she still is subjected to criticism, trolling, and scepticism about her motivations. Taking all of that on the chin, while still campaigning so hard, is worthy of recognition, and it’s hard to see her not give herself credit for anything.”

When asked whether she ever gives herself credit, Esther said: “I don’t really. That’s not because I sit around thinking ‘woe is me’ but there are so many other people who have helped so much.

“I think that I give credit for everyone else, but I’m not giving myself a pat on the back any time soon.

“The level of trolling has been difficult, and people have been questioning my integrity. Sometimes people do just want to do a good thing and there’s no ulterior motive.

Esther at the Peace in Mind Festival on Sunday

“This is all about ensuring there’s a lasting legacy for Brianna. It will be there for every child to have access to.

“It isn’t about giving myself credit, it’s about showing gratitude to everyone who is going the extra mile for their students, and for their children.”

Another integral part of the campaign has been Emma Mills, head teacher at Birchwood Community High, where Brianna was a student at the time of her death.

Looking back on the last year, Emma said: “It’s been a busy 12 months, but the progress of the campaign has exceeded all expectations. I’ve worked closely with headteachers across the town, and I’m pleased to report that nearly every school now has at least one staff member either trained in or signed up for mindfulness training.

(Image: Esther and supporters on Sunday)

“At BCHS, we are proud to have introduced mindfulness lessons into the curriculum, providing students with tools to enhance their mental well-being. We are also collaborating closely with local primary schools within the One Community Trust to pilot these lessons for younger children, with the aim of creating a model that can be adopted by other schools.”

Birchwood High has been leading the way in memory of Brianna, with Emma adding: “Last summer, BCHS hosted Warrington’s first Mindfulness Retreat, bringing together staff from schools across the town involved in mindfulness training.

“We hope this network of dedicated staff will continue to grow, with a vision to make Warrington a beacon town for mindfulness education. Ultimately, our goal is to integrate mindfulness into the RSHE statutory curriculum, ensuring that every child in the country can access its benefits.

“By fostering a mindful approach to learning and well-being, we believe we are making a lasting impact on students and the wider community which is a fitting tribute to Brianna.

“To see how our town has embraced this campaign has made me so proud to work for the Warrington community.”

(Image: Esther and Tom with Laura Kuenssberg)

Although the campaign has been publicised by many national outlets, notably on BBC Breakfast and Good Morning Britain, it all started closer to home.

Gareth Dunning, deputy editor of the Warrington Guardian, said: “The power of Esther's story is one everyone can relate to.

"Her strength, empathy and compassion are something everyone can learn from.

"To raise the incredible amount of money she has done in the campaign, with out backing, has been truly heartwarming.

"To have 100 teachers now trained is incredible. But as she says, it is only the start of her journey to take this campaign and see its benefits spread nationwide."

Esther says that there has been incredible network of support for her: “There are so many people to thank for their support so far. Tom Bedworth, who came up with the campaign and has worked with me ever since, as well as all of the support from the Warrington Guardian; Emma Mills at Birchwood High, for all of the organising of the training courses.

“James Howes and Claire Gamble at the Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation; amazing fundraisers like Sam Small, and people who have given us things for no charge, like Sam Wareing.

“My husband Wes, and my daughter - Brianna’s sister - Alisha, have been huge supports for me.

“Most importantly, all the teachers; this couldn’t have happened without them.”

Esther has since created a Community Interest Company off the back of the successful fundraising campaign: Peace & Mind UK. Brianna’s sister, Alisha, has been working alongside her mum on the campaign.

(Image: Alesha, left, at the launch last year)

Speaking for the first time since her sister was killed, Alisha told the Warrington Guardian: “Since Brianna's death, I've felt a new kind of loneliness, a feeling of loneliness no sibling living at home could ever feel.

“Growing up with Brianna for 16 years of my life and then losing her weeks after my 18th birthday has been really hard. Becoming an adult and losing my younger sibling is so confusing and lonesome.

“I left college after not being able to complete my a-levels, feeling like my world has been turned upside down.”

Brianna

Alisha added: “My first proper job working for Peace & Mind has been healing for both me and my mum. It has brought a sense of community to us, seeing how kind and generous people can be has helped me with the anxiety I have felt since what happened to my sister.

“Working alongside my mum working to improve mental health and strengthen the support within our community has brought us closer together.

“I'm looking forward to the many great things Peace & Mind will bring to Warrington, and eventually the country.”

Looking to the future, Esther concluded: “The job isn’t done and there’s so much more to do. It’s amazing what we’ve all achieved, and Brianna needs some recognition in all of this.

“We’re looking at doing some kind of qualitative research to find out how the project is actually helping students, which we can show government and say that this actually works.

“Charlotte Nichols MP has been really supportive, but I would like to be able to sit down and discuss this with Bridget Phillipson and Sir Keir Starmer.

“The volume of teachers that have got on board shows how important this is. Watch this space.”

You can visit and donate to the Brianna Ghey: Peace in Mind fundraiser here https://www.gofundme.com/f/briannagheymemorial.