Since the shattering impact of Brianna’s murder in February, her mother Esther has focused her grief into a campaign to encourage children to behave with ’empathy and compassion’ to one another.
Determined to find a positive from the unfathomable tragedy, the food technologist has raised tens of thousands of pounds towards teaching mindfulness in schools.
She has spoken of her hope that killings like Brianna’s could be averted by encouraging young people to learn greater empathy towards their peers.
Speaking before the trial on the eve of what would have been her daughter’s 17th birthday, Ms Ghey said it was what Brianna herself would have wanted.
She has begun delivering assemblies in schools in the North West of England, saying mental health techniques are almost ‘more important than academic skills’.
‘You could come out with all straight As but if you can’t cope in life, if you are really struggling with anxiety and you don’t know how to manage that, then you’re…ultimately not going to be able to contribute to society in the way that you would like,’ she told ITV News.
Brianna Ghey was stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife in a frenzied attack on February 11
Brianna’s mother Esther Ghey was devastated by her daughter’s death and has focused her efforts on a campaign to encourage children to behave with ’empathy and compassion’
Esther (pictured with Brianna) has begun delivering assemblies in schools in the North West of England to try and prevent future tragedies like the one that rocked her family from happening
Follow every detail of the case on The Mail’s acclaimed podcast The Trial
The Trial…takes listeners behind the headlines and into the courtrooms of some of the biggest trials in the world.
The first series ‘The Trial of Lucy Letby’ was a global hit, with more than 13 million downloads, while season two focused on the murder of Ashling Murphy, a 23-year-old teacher from Ireland.
Its third season follows the tragic case of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgender girl killed in Warrington, England.
Follow the evidence as the jury hears it, in twice-weekly reports from The Daily Mail’s Northern Correspondent Liz Hull and broadcast journalist Caroline Cheetham.
Paradoxically, Ms Ghey, 37, was encouraged to try to find the positives from her unimaginable loss after being targeted by trolls following Brianna’s murder.
After initially wanting to ‘hide away’, she realised the trolls were the ones who were ‘massively struggling’ and needed help.
It coincided with her interest in mindfulness which began when she and partner Wes Powell took up wild swimming during the Covid lockdowns.
Their Peace In Mind campaign, run with support of the Warrington Guardian, aims to deliver mindfulness techniques in primary and secondary schools.
It has so far raised over £30,000 to send teachers on courses run by charity Mindfulness in Schools Project (MISP).
According to MISP, ‘mindfulness helps train your attention to be more aware of what is actually happening, rather than worrying about what has happened or might happen’.
Launching the campaign, Ms Ghey said the objective was to allow children to process and deal with negative emotions in a healthy way – preventing mental health problems from developing in later life.
‘The crime that was inflicted on Brianna is not a one off,’ she said. ‘Senseless acts of violence are happening far too often.
‘I believe to prevent this from reoccurring we need to weave empathy, compassion, and resilience throughout our society.’
Paradoxically, Ms Ghey, 37, was encouraged to try to find the positives from her unimaginable loss after being targeted by trolls following Brianna’s murder (Brianna is pictured)
Brianna’s father Peter Spooner rubs his eye as he arrives at court with his partner by his side
The campaign has won the backing of 80s icon Boy George and trans newsreader India Willoughby.
Ms Ghey said she hopes that the project will also help children like Brianna who struggle with their mental health.
Speaking to Pink News earlier this year she said ‘children nowadays have it so difficult, they’ve got the internet, pressures at school, pressures in society, social media’.
‘I want them to have this mental resilience as well and also empathy towards themselves.
‘If they have empathy towards themselves, they should have empathy towards other people and be a little bit more understanding of how other people are.’
People leave flowers near Linear Park in Culcheth in February where Brianna Ghey was found
Ms Ghey added that she and her elder daughter Alisha, 18, drew support from vigils held around the world following Brianna’s death.
‘I really, really appreciate that and it just shows how much good and love is actually in the world.’
Praising the ‘great dignity’ shown by Ms Ghey and Brianna’s father, Peter Spooner, throughout the court process, Detective Superintendent Mike Evans, head of Cheshire CID, said: ‘They have been an absolute credit and our hearts go out to them.’
To support the Brianna Ghey memorial fundraiser, please click here.