Raising funds for Saffie's family

Eight-year-old Saffie Rose Roussos as one of the first of the 22 who lost their lives to be identified following Monday night’s terrorist attack.

Her family are believed to run The Plaice Fish Shop on Hough Lane, Leyland. Floral tributes have been laid at the doorstep in the light of the atrocity.

Little Saffie was at the Ariana Grande concert with her mother Lisa Roussos and Saffie’s sister, Ashlee Bromwich, aged in her 20s, from Leyland when a suicide bomber detonated a home-made bomb in the foyer of the arena.

Lisa is believed to be in a critical condition while Ashlee is also injured. Both are being treated for shrapnel injuries in separate hospitals.

Leyland resident Kimberley Branthwaite, who does not know Saffie personally but is a regular customer of her family’s fish and chip shop, set up the fundraising drive. “It’s a local chip shop that I use,” she said.

Kimberley has set a fundraising goal of £10k and over 400 people have donated to the gofundme account already.

Once the target is reached Kimberley plans on giving the money to Saffie’s father to “put towards whatever the family needs at this moment”.

Writing on the fundraising page Kimberley said: “I just think it would be nice to raise some money to help out the family at this time when bills and his business will be the last thing on his mind.

“Let’s make sure he doesn’t have to worry about money let’s all pull together and see what we can do together.

“Please let’s try and lift that weight off his shoulders and raise money for anything they may need it for in the upcoming months.”

Saffie goes to school in Tarleton where villagers held a candlelit vigil attended by around 1,000 people on Tuesday night in memory of her. They were also remembering Georgina Callander, 18, from Tarleton who was killed in the explosion. She attended Runshaw College in Leyland.

To donate money towards Saffie’s family go to https://www.gofundme.com/the-plaice-chip-shop