Behind the horse drawn carriage carrying Elsie Dot Stancum,
her family walked from their home to the church to say a final goodbye.
Mom and dad at the front holding hands and their daughter’s scooter.
They passed hundreds of people paying their respects,
many with young children.
Bright clothing had been encouraged
to reflect the joy Elsie brought to the world.
She’s shown with her parents,
Jenny and David,
and her little sister Rosie in this newly released photo
as Elsie was carried into Saint John’s Church.
Watching on were little girls who loved to dance just like Elsie did.
She would often be found, as most seven year old girls do,
practicing her cartwheels at any given opportunity
and making sure she knew her routine
in time for the next cheer practice.
Inside, this tribute to Elsie was read out on behalf of her mom and dad.
She spent every single day of her life just simply enjoying life,
living her best life every single day.
And the sadness that we feel at being here today
is not just because of the life we have lost in Elsie,
but because of the life we have lost in ourselves
because of Elsie not being here
in the darkest of circumstances.
This was an upbeat service.
Lean on me when you’re not strong,
I’ll be. Local group the Lighthouse Choir performed several times,
setting the tone for happy memories of a happy little girl.
When Elsie first arrived at school on Her dad’s shoulders.
She quickly made an impression.
She wasn’t just Elsie, she was Elsie Dot,
with her hands on her hips and her usual sassy shimmer.
She explains,
that’s my name because my mommy says I’m just like a little dot.
Elsie’s dad, David,
is a postman, and the Royal Mail paid tribute with a line of vans
following the procession through Southport.
Elsie would often spot her dad doing his rounds
and proudly point him out to friends in the playground.
She loved her family as much as she loved performing.
During our recent Year 2 concert,
Elsie amazed us. From day 1 of rehearsals,
our catchphrase for the rest of Year 2 became,
channel your inner Elsie Stanko.
She spoke so clearly,
and she even managed to take somebody else’s part at the last minute.
I won’t ever forget the cheeky thumbs up and wink that I got
when she’d finished. She knew that she’d nailed it.
Elsie was a devoted Swiftie
and was at a Taylor Swift dance class when she was killed.
Along with Alice Agger on the left here and Bebe King.
Today was the third of the three funerals.
Emergency service workers who tried to save the girls
were among those in the church today.
A community not broken by tragedy, but united by it.
What does this mean for Southport as a town?
I think it means we can begin our healing journey.
And it’s not gonna be, um,
you know, the girls.
Are put to rest and then, um,
we move on. I think it’s gonna be a long time
and for our community to fully recover.
And we’ll be working together as faith communities,
as churches, as other organisations.
We’re all coming together, really,
to see how we can work together in unity
to support and Southport in its healing journey.
As they heal, they won’t forget their special girl.
Elsie’s family say they will forever be
the four best friends in the whole wide world.