Bench to be unveiled in tribute to Chloe Rutherford and Liam Curry

A lasting tribute to Chloe Rutherford and Liam Curry is to take pride of place outside South Shields Town Hall.
Chloe and Liam TogetherChloe and Liam Together
Chloe and Liam Together

A special unveiling ceremony for the specially created memorial to the much-loved couple will be held on Friday at 10.30am.

The day marks exactly four months since Chloe, 17, and Liam, 19, were killed in the Manchester Arena bomb attack.

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The bench, designed and made by Dave Filcher of John Nicol Fabrications, features the Marsden Cricket Club emblem signifying Liam’s connection to the club and passion for the sport and a piano player, to represent Chloe’s love of music.

Both families, hope the bench will be a place people can come to spend time with their thoughts and be inspired to follow their dreams.

Liam was creating a name for himself at cricket with his talent for the sport while Chloe had appeared countless times on stage in a variety of productions and was an avid singer and songwriter.

The death of the much-loved couple, described by many as perfect for one another, devastated their families and friends.

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While the heartache of a couple whose lives had enriched many others, touched strangers as many came out to pay tribute to the pair in the aftermath of the attack.

Chloe’s mam Lisa Rutherford, said: “It is such a beautiful bench and we are so proud that we are being able to have it situated in such a prominent place in South Tyneside.

“Because of all the love and support we have had from the people of South Tyneside, it was important to us as their families, that it was placed somewhere, where people could come and remember Chloe and Liam, but also be inspired by their outlook on life and by the passion they had for their respective interests.”

The families of Chloe and Liam have since launched a trust to celebrate the couple’s lives.

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The Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust aims to help those who have the potential to go far in the world of performance and sport, but a lack of funds is holding them back, to further their talents through the use of bursaries.

The families are keen to help inspiring performers or sportspeople to fulfil their potential.

The families took the decision to launch the trust as a way of giving something back to the people of South Tyneside for the love and support they showed them through some of the darkest times of their lives.