‘It’s shock before the grief really hits’ says Southport Reverend

We spoke to Reverend Rachel Bray – who’s from one of the local churches here.

Jackie Long: A terrible, terrible day for so many families, for the wider community, too.

Reverend Rachel Bray: Absolutely. I’ve lived here for over 25 years. It’s a community I know and love. It feels like a safe community and to have this happen is devastating. The community is just in complete shock tonight and grief.

Jackie Long: And how has the day unfolded? What were people saying to you? What were you hearing?

Reverend Rachel Bray: Initially hearing through social media, and then just different people have been in touch as the day has gone on. Trying to not respond to speculation, waiting to hear the facts of what’s emerged that we’ve heard this evening, which is so shocking and devastating, really.

Jackie Long: And how do you speak to people who will be desperately trying to make sense of something like this? What can you say?

Reverend Rachel Bray: Absolutely. There are often no words in a situation. It’s about being with, and being alongside people. Our church, St Philip and St Paul with Wesley, just five minutes from here, will be open this evening, be open over the next few days, as many of the churches in Southport will be. Spaces for people to come in, to be quiet. If they want to talk, they can talk, to cry. They can cry, light a candle. Just to try and begin to process this. Because initially it’s shock as well, before the grief really hits.

Jackie Long: It’s a relatively small community. It’s hard. People will know…

Reverend Rachel Bray: A lot of people know a lot of people here. Absolutely. So the ramifications of it are enormous across our town.

Jackie Long: How difficult have you found today?

Reverend Rachel Bray: Enormously difficult. I’m a mum. I have three children. I can’t even begin to imagine what this is like for the families that are going through all they have been today, and want to be there for them. The churches will want to be there for each of these families in any way we can be, as they try to take this in, the horror of what’s happened to them.

Jackie Long: And how important is supporting each other, in this sort of unprecedented tragedy?

Reverend Rachel Bray: Absolutely. It’s fundamental. This is a moment for the community to step up, to be together, to quieten all of this stuff on social media. To come together, to be supportive and to be there, to comfort one another and to walk the journey together.

Jackie Long: The police have been quite clear that people shouldn’t be responding to speculation online. They shouldn’t be their own detective, as it were. You would back that call?

Reverend Rachel Bray: I’d completely back that call. It’s unhelpful. What matters is that we’re there for the families who are left devastated by this, and that we come together as a community to support one another.

Jackie Long: And how important are the next few days in terms of all of that?

Reverend Rachel Bray: Hugely important. We will be there for people, as and when we can be. And we will be in the days and weeks ahead. It’s not just the initial thing, is it? This has ramifications for a long, long time.

Jackie Long: It’s something almost impossible to make sense of, isn’t it?

Reverend Rachel Bray: Completely. Absolutely. Absolutely.