Kate's hope for anti-sectarian group

That’s the hope of Kate Carroll, wife of Stephen - the first and only member of the PSNI to be murdered as he carried out his duty - as she prepares to lobby for funding for the “Not In My Name” charity set up last year by two young Craigavon girls after her husband’s murder.

Kate, who travelled to America earlier this year as a guest of the New York Police Department, said she is hopeful that she will receive support for the group.

Described as a “Celtic fusion ensemble of advanced instrumentalists and vocalists” the group includes young people aged between 16 and 18-years-old from both communities in Banbridge and Lurgan.

The police widow, who lives in Banbridge, is writing to top people across the USA including both Hilary and Bill Clinton, as well as the Consul General of Ireland who is based in New York, and the Prince of Wales who she met at an event in Clarence House recently.

While the group, which meets every Wednesday in Shankill Parochial Hall in Lurgan, is currently focused on music, Kate hopes this will broaden to become a base for children and teens to meet and socialise in a safe and non-sectarian environment.