Beautiful playground inspired by Southport tragedy victims Alice and Bebe wins national award
A Southport school has been given an award for its wonderful playground honouring Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King.
Alice and Bebe, along with seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, were tragically killed when Axel Rudakubana attacked a class of children at a Taylor Swift-themed workshop in July 2024. Rudakubana, now 19, of Banks, Lancashire, was sentenced to 52 years in prison for his crimes.
Alice and Bebe were both pupils at Churchtown Primary School and the idea for the playground was proposed by Alice’s parents as a way of honouring her life and her legacy at the school, and to provide a welcoming space for all pupils to enjoy.
Churchtown Primary’s aim was to build a space to honour the memory of the little girls and help support the healing process for their schoolmates. It was designed with the personalities of both girls in mind specifically, with quiet spaces for reflection as well as areas like the new performance stage, inspired by both girls’ love of the performing arts.
Officially opened in September 2025, after a fundraiser reached more than £374,000, the playground has since been visited by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales.
Now, the beautiful space inspired by Alice and Bebe’s ‘joyful spirits’ has earned Churchtown Primary School the Inspiring Play Award at the Youth Sports Trust Awards.
The Youth Sport Trust Awards celebrates schools, settings, trusts and individuals who, working alongside the Youth Sport Trust over the past year, had made a real and impactful change to the lives of young people.
Jinnie Payne, headteacher at Churchtown Primary School, said she was delighted the spirit of unity behind the playground had been recognised. She said: “When we set out to build this playground in collaboration with the parents of Alice and Bebe, we wanted it to be a symbol of hope in the face of adversity for a school that was beginning to try and heal.
“Now it’s complete, I’m delighted every time I see hundreds of children expressing themselves, enjoying themselves and showing the joy that Alice and Bebe always carried with them.
“We’re very pleased to accept this award and hope the impact of the playground will continue to be felt across decades at Churchtown.”