What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 4pm

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation

Home
United Kingdom
Haslingden
The Sophie Lancaster Foundation

We work to combat prejudice and intolerance. Sophie was murdered because of her alternative appearance.
(1225)

We tell her story as a catalyst for change 🖤

https://linktr.ee/sophielancasterfoundation

04/09/2026

We are incredibly proud to be heading to Mångata Festival!

The alternative community has always stood so strongly with us, and we can’t wait to catch the amazing lineup alongside you all.

We will have a stall set up in the festival marketplace raising vital funds to support our ongoing educational work against prejudice and intolerance. Stop by to say hello, grab some of our smaller merch items, or secure one of our limited edition 2026 Weirdo, Mosher, Freak t-shirts!

Every single purchase and donation helps us continue our mission. Come over, show your support and let's have an incredible day!

03/09/2026

Yesterday, we had the privilege of visiting someone who had organised a fundraising gig for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation while serving his sentence in prison.

He spoke about his love of guitar and rock music growing up and the judgement he faced simply for expressing himself. He’d previously heard Sylvia speak about Sophie - something she was always passionate about doing in prisons - and her words stayed with him. They moved him deeply and inspired him to act.

So, he picked up his guitar, organised a gig for fellow inmates and staff and raised money to support our work.

It was a powerful reminder that change doesn’t only happen in classrooms or boardrooms.

Thank you for choosing to support Sophie and our work in such a thoughtful and inspiring way.

02/09/2026

Our Freak of the Week is Jon 🖤

Jon has been a metalhead and part of the alternative community since he was 12 and still proudly wears “band shirts near enough every day” when he’s not at work. Over the years, he’s experienced people staring and judging him for being different, as well as for being autistic. But Jon says he’s “proud to be alternative” and believes “weird is good!” 🤘

For Jon, The Sophie Lancaster Foundation means being able to “be myself and be accepted for who I am”, without worrying about being different or being judged for how he looks and dresses. To him, it’s about “inclusivity” and accepting people for who they are.

Thank you for sharing your story, Jon, and for being such a proud supporter of our community. 🖤🤘

01/09/2026

A huge thank you to everyone at Softcat 🖤

Last week, we spent a fantastic day with the Softcat team, delivering training before they hosted an evening fundraising event in support of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

A special thank you to Aaron and everyone involved in organising the day, and to everyone who took part, donated and helped make the day such a success.

We’d also like to thank Softcat’s leaders for recognising the importance of creating an inclusive workplace where people can be themselves. Professionalism doesn’t have one look. We can challenge the idea that people have to look a certain way to be successful or capable.

Everyone deserves to feel valued and able to be themselves at work. We’re proud to work with employers who are committed to making inclusion a reality, and grateful for the support Softcat has shown to our Foundation and our community.

If your business or place of work would be interested in learning more about the training we can provide, please do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Thank you, Softcat, for standing with us. 🖤

28/08/2026

Every year, during festival season especially, we’re reminded just how much our community looks out for each other. Once again, this year Andy and Bob have gone above and beyond to raise £793 for our Foundation between them.

Andy Szandrowski is the legend behind the Rebellion (Andy’s Spreadsheet) Facebook group, which now has nearly 4,000 members. For years, Andy has been putting together his famous clash spreadsheet to help people survive the absolute chaos of hundreds of bands playing across the festival. When people offered to buy him a drink to say thanks, he started asking them to donate to the Foundation instead. This year, that raised £300 for Sophie.

Then there’s the man, the myth, the legend himself…. Bob Campbell, who runs the North East Rebellion Bus, bringing music fans down to Blackpool every year. The bus has become part of the Rebellion experience itself. This year, Bob and everyone involved raised an amazing £493.

Thank you to both of you and to everyone who donated and raised awareness.

27/08/2026

Today, we’re remembering another legend we’ve lost.

Tim Curry was loved for his extraordinary work across film, television, theatre and music. From The Rocky Horror Picture Show and IT to Legend, his performances, which he made his own, have stayed with people long after they first encountered them.

He was unapologetically himself. Bold, theatrical and creative. He challenged expectations and never seemed afraid to stand out. That feels particularly relevant to the work we do at the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, where we believe no one should be judged or targeted simply for being who they are.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show holds a special place within our community and Tim’s unforgettable performance as Frank-N-Furter helped make it the cultural phenomenon it remains today.

And perhaps his most famous words still say it best:

“Don’t dream it. Be it.”

Simple words, but a powerful reminder that there is no wrong way to be yourself.

Thank you, Tim, for the performances, the memories and the inspiration to embrace who we are.

Rest in peace.

26/08/2026

Today, we’re remembering the incomparable Dolly Parton. 🖤

Dolly was loved by people across genres, generations and communities for her music, her spirit, her generosity and her witty sense of humour.

She was unapologetically herself. Bold, colourful, creative and entirely comfortable taking up space in a world that often expects people to fit neatly into someone else’s idea of what they should be.

At the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, we believe that people should be free to be themselves without fear of judgement, prejudice or violence. We should not have to understand someone’s choices, share their interests or look like them to treat them with dignity and respect.

Dolly Parton was an advocate for acceptance, encouraging everyone to be authentic, to let other people be themselves, and try to leave the world a little kinder than you found it.

Perhaps that is why, whatever music we listen to or whatever community we belong to, so many of us loved her.

Thank you, Dolly, for showing the world that being unapologetically yourself can be a beautiful thing.

Rest in peace. We will always love you. 🖤

25/08/2026

Wow!

We never imagined such an incredible response to our call-out for photos for our new hate crime resource.

In less than 24 hours, more than 1,000 of you shared your photos with us. We have absolutely loved seeing the incredible diversity, creativity and individuality of our community, and so many of you proudly being your authentic selves.

Unfortunately, we won’t be able to include everyone in the resource. Our illustrator will select the images that best fit the spaces and themes within the guide, so please don’t be disappointed if your photo isn’t chosen.

But this response has given us lots of ideas about other ways we can involve you in future campaigns and projects. Watch this space!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share a photo with us. Thank you for trusting us, for being part of this incredible community, and most importantly, thank you for being unapologetically you. 🖤

25/08/2026

We’d like to take a moment to say a huge thank you to ISM Waste & Recycling (ISM Waste & Recycling) in Ramsbottom for their support with all our waste disposal needs.

All charities and businesses record information and generate waste. It’s important that when materials or information are no longer needed, they are disposed of in the correct way.

We honestly can’t recommend ISM Waste & Recycling enough. Professional, reliable and helpful, we know we can trust them to manage waste disposal and recycling in the best way possible.

Thank you again for all your support.

24/08/2026

On this day 19 years ago, Sophie Lancaster died following a brutal and unprovoked attack. She was just 20 years old.

Sophie was kind, intelligent and creative. She loved literature, alternative music and expressing herself through her identity.

On 11 August 2007, Sophie was attacked in Stubbylee Park, Bacup, simply because of the way she looked. She never regained consciousness and died 13 days later, on 24 August 2007.

What happened to Sophie should never have happened. And it should never happen to anyone else.

Today, we remember Sophie for who she was. Not just the victim of a horrific crime, but a young woman with a future, a voice and a right to live without fear.

Sophie’s story has become a powerful reminder of the impact of prejudice and hatred towards people who are seen as different. Her legacy continues through the work of The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, fighting for acceptance, understanding and respect for all.

We ask you to take a moment to think of Sophie. To think about the cost of hatred. To stand with all victims of hate crime and to treat people with the kindness and respect that we all deserve.

Nineteen years gone but never forgotten. 🖤

Address

87 Deardengate
Haslingden
BB45SN

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm

Website

http://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com/, https://eyesoremerch.com/sophielancasterfoundation/?srsltid=AfmBOooXgyquaFdLa

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Sophie Lancaster Foundation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to The Sophie Lancaster Foundation:

Want your organisation to be the top-listed Non Profit Organisation in Haslingden?

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

28/08/2026

27/08/2026

26/08/2026

25/08/2026

25/08/2026

24/08/2026

Address

Opening Hours

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organisation

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request