Hundreds say their goodbyes to Saffie
HUNDREDS of people came together to pay their respects to Saffie Rose Roussos at her funeral yesterday.
The service for the eight-year-old was held at Manchester Cathedral at 1.45pm yesterday (Wednesday, July 26).
Saffie, a pupil at Tarleton Community Primary, was the youngest of the 22 people murdered in the atrocity as they were leaving an Ariana Grande concert on May 22.
Saffie’s was the last of the funerals of the victims, with a service for 18-year-old Georgina Callander held in Tarleton last month.
The funeral was delayed until Saffie’s mother, Lisa, who was badly injured in the explosion, was well enough to leave the hospital.
Crowds gathered outside the cathedral and sung Don’t Look Back In Anger, by Oasis, a song that has become an anthem of hope after the attack.
Mourners, including Saffie’s classmates, GMP chief constable and metro mayor Andy Burnham, arrived carrying roses. Saffie’s parents asked guests to bring a single rose in honour of her middle name.
Chris Upton, the headteacher of Tarleton Community Primary, gave a eulogy during the service.
Speaking previously, he said: “Saffie was simply a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the word.
“She was loved by everyone and her warmth and kindness will be remembered fondly.”
While crowds gathered in Manchester, the Tarleton community also said their goodbyes to Saffie.
A 20-minute service was held at Tarleton Church by Fr David Craven before a procession then walked to Marks Square to lay flowers.
During the day, thousands flocked to social media to pay tributes to Saffie, leading to #ARoseForSaffie trending on Twitter.
In a letter sent to the Manchester Evening News, the Roussos family said: “Our family wants to thank everyone who took a moment to pay their respects in any way.
“With the generous support of organisations and people like you, we are able to survive through these dark days that came upon us and honour the pride of our family and memory of Saffie Rose Roussos.”