Walk goes ahead after tragic South Shields teen's cliff death

A sponsored walk organised by a tragic teenager who died after falling from a cliff went ahead in her memory.
Chirelle Calder. Picture supplied by family.Chirelle Calder. Picture supplied by family.
Chirelle Calder. Picture supplied by family.

Chirelle Calder, from Whiteleas, South Shields, had been involved with the National Citizenship Service (NCS) scheme, and had planned a sponsored walk with her teammates.

Sadly, on Saturday the 17–year–old died after falling from cliffs at Marsden in South Shields.

Lauren Lennard-O'Reilly, best friend of Chirelle Calder.Lauren Lennard-O'Reilly, best friend of Chirelle Calder.
Lauren Lennard-O'Reilly, best friend of Chirelle Calder.
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Chirelle had contacted the Gazette last Thursday to publicise the walk, which was to raise money for domestic abuse victims.

She said: “As part of our course we have been looking at ways to fundraise for charity.

“We want to raise money for domestic abuse victims so we could make little care packages which they could use.”

Yesterday the walk still went ahead and ended at Sandhaven Beach in South Shields.

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A spokesman for the NCS said: “Chirelle had been working on the project and was a valuable team member.”

Meanwhile, Chirelle’s best friend Lauren Lennard-O’Reilly has also paid tribute to the caring teenager, who she first met in 2013.

Although Lauren, 19, lived in Liverpool, the duo talked every day, and Chirelle often went to visit her friend in Merseyside.

Lauren said: “Chirelle was amazing. I always called her my little sister. She just had one of those smiles that would cheer you up the minute you saw it.

Lauren Lennard-O'Reilly, best friend of Chirelle Calder.Lauren Lennard-O'Reilly, best friend of Chirelle Calder.
Lauren Lennard-O'Reilly, best friend of Chirelle Calder.
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“She loved to Facetime. Every day we’d be chatting and she’d often come and visit me. We’d go out shopping and to the pictures,

“She’s helped me so many times over the last few years, she’s always been there for me whenever I have needed a bit of help.

“I am just in shock that this has happened, I’d spoken to her the day before and she was her usual chatty self and full of fun.”

Lauren had just returned back from a holiday to Spain when she learnt of her friend’s death.

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She said: “It was awful. The plane had just landed and I turned my phone on. I realised what happened by reading Facebook, I couldn’t believe it

“I am still in shock, I don’t think it’s sunk it yet that she’s not going to be there for me to talk to every day.

“She was planning to move to Liverpool, I have my own flat here and she was going to live with me,”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 121 13/08/16.