Kelly Brewster: Remembering the victims of the Manchester bombing eight years on

On May 22, 2017, fans at an Ariana Grande concert in the Manchester Arena had their lives changed forever when a bomb detonated as the crowd was leaving.

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The attack left 1,017 people injured, and 22 dead.

One of those was Kelly Brewster, from Arbourthorne, who’s life was brough to an untimely close when she was only 32 years old.

Kelly - who was described as ‘bright’ and bubbly’ by her family - was preparing to start her own family when the event that shook the whole nation took her life.

her family has previously described how she was the happiest she had been in her life during the period leading up to the tragedy, and she and her fiance Ian, with whom she was looking forward to starting a family, had just that day had an offer accepted on a house.

In a heartbreaking statement, they told how the 32-year-old, who worked as a claims assessor for the insurance firm Aviva, had ‘truly loved life and packed as much into her short years as she possibly could’.

They added: "Kelly was the life and soul of any party and loved to have a good time. She was always bright, bubbly, and her infectious spirit will be missed by many.”

Her sister, Claire Booth, and niece, Hollie Booth, were both injured injured in the blast.

Close to a decade later and the horror of that day still rings on, as families like Kelly’s work to find peace in the aftermath of such devastation.

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A minute of silence in honour of the victims is being observed by Manchester City Council twice today (May 22), with the first taking place at 12pm and the second at 10.31pm - the time of the attack.

Tributes will be laid at the Glade of Light memorial near Manchester Cathedral, a site which includes Kelly’s name alongside the other 21 victims and was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2022.

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