Northumbria University Partnership with the Chloe & Liam Together Forever Trust

On 22 May 2017, Chloe Rutherford, 17, and Liam Curry, 19, girlfriend and boyfriend, were murdered in the atrocity of the Manchester bombing at the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena. Their families set up the Chloe & Liam Together Forever Trust to honour their children by inspiring others to enjoy and pursue their dreams in the activities that they loved the most.  

Liam was studying a sports degree at Northumbria University and was a talented cricketer who played for Marsden Cricket Club, when he tragically lost his life and his girlfriend, Chloe, had a passion for performing arts. Chloe’s parents, Lisa and Mark Rutherford and Liam’s mum, Caroline Curry, founded the charity The Chloe & Liam Together Forever Trust to enable aspiring young performers and sportspeople to achieve their ambitions as a legacy to their talented and much-loved children.

To celebrate the legacy of Chloe and Liam, the Trust is working with the University to enable students to fulfil their potential in sport and performing arts. It is a long-term university-wide partnership involving the Advancement Office, the Faculties of Health and Life Sciences and Arts and the Students’ Union to enhance student potential and well-being. The partnership also involves the student community being actively involved in fundraising for the Trust.  

In its first year, the Trust is supporting a group of students from the Sport Management programme, who will be organising a cricket participation event at the time of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to celebrate the lives of Chloe and Liam.

Chloe and Liam’s parents are delighted to be working with the University to enable future cohorts of students to take part in activities that they love. Chloe’s mum, Lisa Rutherford, said ‘We are very pleased to be supporting the University and our bursary will go on to help the students follow their dreams’. Dianne Ford, Pro Vice Chancellor for Health and Life Sciences added ‘Liam was a much-loved and extremely talented Northumbria student. The University is extremely grateful for the support that the Trust is providing and will work with them to enable students to pursue their passions in the activities that Chloe and Liam loved. It is an exciting partnership, which will continue the legacy of Chloe and Liam and their connection with Northumbria University for years to come’.

On the 22nd of May every year, the Chloe & Liam Together Forever Trust organises a Pink and Blue Day to mark the anniversary of the horrific event, celebrate the lives of Chloe and Liam and raise money for their inspiring work. Donations to the Trust can be made by texting CANDLTFT followed by the amount to 70085.