Manchester Arena survivor is doing a huge charity skydive in memory of the 22 victims

One of the survivors from the 2017 Manchester Arena attack is taking part in a skydive to raise money and awareness for a charity set up in memory of one of the victims. 

Amelia Thompson, fifteen, was one of the thousands of concert-goers in attendance at Ariana Grande’s Manchester Arena gig on May 22nd, 2017 when a suicide bomber detonated his device, claiming the lives of twenty-two people and injuring hundreds more. 

Thankfully, Amelia and her mum Lisa, from Sheffield, were able to escape relatively unscathed – though Amelia did have significant damage to her vocal chords and was eventually hospitalised the following day.

Amelia Thompson 

In the months following the atrocity, Amelia and Lisa were both invited to the launch of Livs Trust – a foundation started by the family of Olivia Campbell Hardy who tragically lost her life in the attack. Liv’s Trust has the primary aim of getting people under the age of twenty-five across Greater Manchester involved with dance and singing, two things that had been huge passions of Olivias.

At the launch of the charity, who Amelia is now an ambassador for, she met Olivia’s grandparents, Sharon and Steve, who she has since maintained a close relationship with. They’re that close, in fact that when Amelia was invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding the year after the attack, she decided to take Sharon as her plus one.

Speaking to Proper Manchester, her mum Lisa explained: “She knew that Sharon was really struggling at the time – after losing Olivia she stopped going to work and she stopped going out, so Amelia decided to invite her along to the royal wedding.”

Lisa Newton / Facebook

And now, three years on and just weeks away from her sixteenth birthday, Amelia has decided once again to do something special for Sharon, Steve and their treasured Liv’s Trust – an epic skydive fundraiser. On July 25th – just five days after she turns sixteen – Amelia will be jumping out of an airplane at 14,000 feet to raise money for Liv’s Trust.

Her older brother will also be doing the jump, though his proceeds will go to the charity Sue Ryder, for whom he works.

Amelia currently has two major sponsors – Autobarn Prestige and Trade to Trade in Derbyshire and Sheffield, who have collectively paid £260 for her to jump. 

Of her daughter’s selfless decision, Lisa said: “Amelia really wanted to do this, even though she’s had a rough couple of months at home. It’s something that’s really close to her heart.”

David Dixon / Geograph

And on the reasoning behind her skydive, Amelia said: “Fundraising and doing charity work is a way for me to not let terrorism win and to rise above it. It’s important to raise money and to give to those who have lost their lives to show that we will never forget the twenty-two victims from that day.

“I hope it will inspire other survivors to go out there and accomplish new things and to not let the attack control their lives.”

So far she’s raised £438 of the £2,222 she’s aiming for, so please dig deep and help Amelia reach her target. 

For more information and to donate, visit Amelia’s JustGiving fundraiser page.