Taylor Swift fans donate more than 400 gifts to Southport attack victims

Ikran Dahir
Updated
"Beautiful Swifties" friendship bracelets sit amongst the thousands of flowers and tributes placed outside the Atkinson Art Centre in Southport. (Getty)
"Beautiful Swifties" friendship bracelets sit amongst the thousands of flowers and tributes placed outside the Atkinson Art Centre in Southport. (Getty) (Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)

Taylor Swift fans have provided a huge show of support to victims of the Southport mass stabbings - by giving more than 400 gifts and bracelets to the families of the victims.

Amongst the flowers, teddy bears, and cards are hundreds of friendship bracelets left in tribute for the victims who were killed in the stabbings on 29 July outside the venue holding a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

Axel Rudakubana, 17, was charged with the murders of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. Rudakubana is also charged with the attempted murders of yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes and eight children, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

All the children wounded in the attack are no longer in hospital and were discharged on Tuesday.

At the dance workshop where the attack occurred, the young fans present would have been making friendship bracelets. This is because of a long-held tradition by Swifties, Taylor Swift fans, who exchange bracelets with each other.

In lieu of an actual exchange, Swifties made bracelets for the deceased in tribute; some have the names of the children killed, and other bracelets have short messages of support.

In one photo, a bracelet has the names of the three children, "Alice, Bebe, and Elsie", and another reads "Bigger than the sky".

Handout photos show (L-R) Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, victims of the Southport knife attack. (Merseyside Police/Handout via REUTERS)
Handout photos show (L-R) Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, victims of the Southport knife attack. (Merseyside Police/Handout via REUTERS) (Reuters / Reuters)
Friendship bracelets among the tributes. (Getty)
Friendship bracelets among the tributes. (Getty) (PETER POWELL via Getty Images)

Fans have also made further friendship bracelets to donate to everyone who attended the dance class.

Cristina Jones co-organised this project with Holly Goldring and they are also the duo behind the viral fundraiser on JustGiving that has now exceeded £360k.

Jones told Yahoo News that they have 400 items for the victims and that the gifts will be donated in collaboration with Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Jones said the hospital has urged people not to send gifts directly to the victims.

The two fans have rallied Swifities and organised a project to donate gifts to the surviving victims. Fans made handmade bracelets and have also gathered gifts such as sweets, toys, fidget spinners, Taylor Swift colouring books, and chocolates. People were more than happy to donate and thanked them for organising it all. They have had to halt donations as they were inundated with gifts.

Fans of the musician made and donated friendship bracelets to the Swifties, who were attacked in the mass stabbing in Southport. (Credit: Cristina Jones)
Fans of the musician made and donated friendship bracelets to the Swifties, who were attacked in the mass stabbing in Southport. (Credit: Cristina Jones) (Cristina Jones)

Jones said: "Friendship bracelets are such an important part of Swiftie lore. In the song ‘You’re On Your Own Kid’, she sings 'Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it' and we have been trading them and making them for each other since."

The song was released in 2022, and fast forward to now, in 2024, fans have turned it into a must-do activity at concerts and when Swifties meet up. During her shows, Swift sometimes engages with a lucky fan by giving them her "22" hat. Last year, a Swiftie gave the pop star a friendship bracelet in return. Swift is returning to the UK on August 15 as part of her Era's Tour with 5 nights at Wembley Stadium.

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