Manchester Arena memorial: Sheffield woman's name enshrined on 'Glade of Light' unveiled today

The Glade of Light, which officially opens to the public today, is a while marble halo bearing the names of the 22 people killed in the May 2017 suicide bombing.

Among them is Kelly Brewster, aged 32, from Sheffield, who was killed in the blast that injured hundreds of innocent people attending an Ariana Grande concert.

Kelly’s family was invited to embed a memory capsule in the stone halo containing messages and mementos.

Speaking in September 2020, Kelly’s family said the young woman had been the happiest she had ever been in life having travelled the world and being ready to settle down and start a family. She had just that day had an offer accepted on a house with her fiance.

Miss Brewster entered the foyer of the Arena just seven seconds before suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a home-made bomb.

Ms Brewster was standing just nine metres away from the explosive and suffered un-survivable injuries to her abdomen and head, one of 22 fatalities not including the bomber himself.

Ms Brewster’s sister Claire, as well as Claire’s daughter, were also injured in the blast.

An inquiry into her death heard how an off-duty police officer fought to save Kelly’s life, until a paramedic told him there was nothing he could do.

The Glade of Light has been designed with plants to serve as a peaceful place of reflection. A hawthorn tree will bloom with white flowers around May each year to mark the anniversary of the attack.

Fences around the memorial were taken down today ahead of an official opening event in the spring.

The memorial is located between Manchester Cathedral and Chetham’s School of Music, at the foot of Fennel Street where it meets Victoria Street.

It comes after Claire Brewster and her friend Caroline Curry, from South Shields, were forced to “stand guard” at the entrance to the Glade in December after they found members of the public had moved the fences and were using the memorial as a thoroughfare. She claims she saw teenagers and drunks disrespecting the memorial and had to confront an abusive man about his conduct.