Farewell to cheeky 12-year-old with an ‘infectious smile’
A “CHEEKY”, fun-loving girl with an “infectious smile” who was always kind to those who needed her.
That’s how loved ones will remember Charley Patterson, the Cramlington schoolgirl who has died at the age of just 12.
Due to coronavirus restrictions, only 15 people were allowed to say their final goodbyes in person at Whitley Bay Crematorium yesterday.
But friends, family and other loved ones were able to watch the funeral service online, paying their respects to the youngster whose death has rocked a community.
Horses, wearing headdresses in her favourite teal colour, drew animal-loving Charley to the service in an ornate carriage, while her coffin was decorated with horses running free.
Mourners reflected on her life as they listened to Thursday by Jess Glynne, which her mum always felt had been written just for Charley.
Charley was found dead on October 1, having tragically taken her own life.
She had repeatedly sought help from professionals, after her mental health suffered when her school life was blighted by bullying, but she was told she could spend as much as three years on waiting lists, receiving little follow-up from the service that was meant to care for her.
Her family, mum Jay, dad Paul and siblings Jake, 11, Callum, 15, Kylah, 16, and Sophie, 18, are all still struggling to come to terms with her death, while they battle for fundamental changes to children’s mental health provision in her memory.
Jay told the Chronicle: “She was like my shadow. During the day in the week it is easier because it’s as though she is at school.
“It is on a night or on a weekend and she’s not there. When you’re making dinner and there’s one less meal to make. It is so hard.”
During the heart-rending service, dad Paul shared a poem he had written in honour of his daughter, celebrating her “smile to fill your heart”, her love of animals, especially horses, of music, of Tik Tok, of kickboxing.
He mourned the wedding bells his daughter would never hear; the car she would never learn to drive; the aspirations she would never get to fulfil; the family home left “so empty” without her.
Charley was “a ball of energy and fun”, celebrant Janet Green said, she was “cheeky” and had her loving dad “wrapped around her little finger”.
“Outdoorsy” Charley loved climbing trees, and going on bike rides with her best friends. She loved dancing, and enjoyed making Tik Tok videos with her pals.
Above all, she said, people will remember Charley for her “kindness” - she was always eager to make friends, and support classmates who were struggling - as well as her “infectious” smile.
Jay shared fond memories of the “fearless” youngster, remembering her jumping into lakes, dodging PE lessons with her friends, and moments of “stubbornness” at school, when she refused to speak to a teacher who called her by her full name, Charley-Ann.
Jay said: “Her smile always reached her eyes, she always had a cheeky smile and a wisecrack upon her lips...
“We are all going to miss her sass, her cheek, her smile, her sense of fun, and as hard as it is to hear and to say, she’s no longer hurting and no longer afraid.
“She will always be with us.” Callum chose a poem to be shared with the mourners, while Sophie lit a candle during the service, while Kyla and Jake placed a rose on the coffin.
Grandma Beryl read a poem called “So Go and Run Free”, which reminded her of stories Charley’s dad would tell her about angels when she was younger.
Donations were collected at the end of the service for the planned CharleyAnn Patterson Trust, which is set to provide young people in the area with a safe space not only to attend activities, but to be able to share anything their struggling with in a confidential space with trained adults.
For confidential support from volunteers, including for suicidal thoughts, Samaritans can be contacted free on 116 123 or by email to jo@samaritans. org
Q
I was at a pub last week and have been contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service to say someone has tested positive for Covid 19. I’ve been in my office since the pub visit and am nervous about telling my employer – will the whole office have to go into quarantine if I tell them? No. Tell your employer. People you work with do not need to self-isolate unless they have also been notified by the NHS Test and Trace service and asked to do so. But you must self-isolate straightaway for 14 days from the date of contact.