Reece Tansey's family's wish for memorial to the murdered teen

Reece Tansey died in May of last year after being stabbed a number of times.

He was found on Walker Avenue in Great Lever.

Reece has a mini casket with his ashes, but not a main space for friends and family to visit.

His aunty Sam Barnett says that they want a place to visit to remember Reece.

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• She said: “We want something pretty big that we can go to and remember him every year.

“I think everyone deserves somewhere, so they’re not forgotten.”

Reece and his mum Laura (Image: Public)

Sam said that “it has been hard knowing they haven’t got anywhere for him as family and friends.”

But when Reece’s eight-year-old brother Tyrone asked when he could see his brother’s grave, Sam said it was “heart-breaking” and she wanted to do something to help.

She added: “I knew I needed to do something because we can’t go on another six months without somewhere.”

Sam says that the family are continuing to “take each day as it comes”.

She added: “It’s almost a year and a half and it’s still panful every day.

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“We miss him so much.

“We miss everything about him.

“We miss his laugh and the way he used to drive us mad.”

Reece and his aunty Sam (Image: Public)

She says she still talks to him, and that Halloween brought back memories of Reece dressing up for it, and even as a teen he loved dressing up and having a laugh with it.

Now Sam has set a fundraiser up to help cover the cost of a Sanctum 2000 memorial vault, which can be filled with all the things close to the family’s heart.

Sam added: “I hope people can help us get this for him.

“It can be the littlest amount because anything will be a big help.

“Hopefully we can get somewhere for him in the next six months.”

The space is similar to a grave in that a message can be dedicated to the person, including a photograph of them, but it is used for those who have been cremated.

One of Reece’s close friends Keegan Kinley has also set his own fundraiser up to help raise money for the Sanctum, where he aims to raise around £1k to help (www.gofundme.com/f/raise-it-for-reece-memorial-block).

Reece Tansey (Image: Public)

He said: “It would mean everything to get this memorial together.

“It would make us all happy and glad to be surrounded by people that want to help for such a respectful young boy that had his life taken way to soon.

“Reece meant a lot to me.

“Growing up with him was like having a little brother.

“Nobody else looked up to me like that.

“Since he’s been gone I haven’t been the same.

“There isn’t one day where I don’t think about Reece.

“I’m angry, stressed, and confused, as to why they did it to Reece, and at such a young age.

“He was never a person to cause any trouble.”

Click here (www.gofundme.com/f/reece-tanseys-memorial-block) to help raise funds for the memorial space.

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