The funeral of 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose is set to start at 2:30pm today at Sheffield Cathedral.
The teenage boy was tragically killed in a stabbing in All Saints Catholic High School on 3 February.
Hundreds are expected to gather outside to pay their respects while the funeral will be broadcast on screens outside of the cathedral.
Harvey’s family, who have asked for privacy at this time, have described him as “a caring, loving and funny young man” and “a beloved son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and most importantly, a best friend to all”.
The family has given an open invitation to anyone wishing to join in Harvey’s memory, and the organiser of the funeral, J.F. Knight Independent Family Funeral Directors, has asked anyone wishing to sit inside to arrive early.
The Cathedral paid its respects on X this morning, posting: “We join with Harvey Willgoose’s family and friends in our profound shock and sadness at his tragic death, and we hold them in prayer this day, the day of his funeral.”
A GoFundMe page was set up in support of Harvey’s parents to help with funeral costs, and has raised £27.5K, over £7,000 more than the target goal.
A petition calling for better security against knife crime in schools – such as body scanners, metal detectors, and bag searches – was created shortly after the incident, and is currently close to reaching 40,000 signatures, with over 600 people signing just today. The petition has been backed by the Willgoose family.
We will be covering the funeral later on our Live News page.