Samantha's Legacy

️ Samantha Madgin

24.04.89 – 02.08.07

Forever in our hearts

Samantha’s smile lit up every room. Her laugh was infectious. Her spirit was unforgettable.

But on 2nd August 2007, that light was cruelly taken.

At just 18 years old, Samantha was stabbed to death by a 15-year-old girl.

She had no chance of survival and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Only 68 days earlier, Samantha had become a mother to her beautiful baby boy, Callum. She adored him more than anything in this world.

Samantha’s Legacy Lives On

In the wake of this unimaginable loss, Samantha’s Mam, Alison Madgin MBE, and her sister, Carly Barrett MBE, turned grief into purpose founding Samantha’s Legacy, a non-profit committed to:

Preventing knife crime

Supporting traumatised and bereaved families

Educating and empowering young people

And now running Samantha’s Retreat, a peaceful place for grieving families to rest and heal

Samantha’s Retreat – Now a Reality

Thanks to incredible community support, Samantha’s Retreat is now secured. This beautiful, calming space offers cost-free breaks for families affected by trauma, violent crime, or sudden bereavement. It’s more than a holiday it’s a lifeline.

But we need your help to keep it running.

Donations will help cover:

Upkeep of Samantha’s Retreat (utilities, cleaning, insurance)

Mental health support materials and grief resources

Travel support for families in need

Welcome packs and memory-making items

Ongoing emotional support and check-ins

What We Do Beyond the Retreat

Your donations don’t just keep the retreat going they allow us to continue providing:

Cost-free educational talks in schools across the North East

Mentoring programmes for at-risk young people

Community workshops on violence prevention and grief support

Support for families attending court, facing trauma, or navigating loss

In a world where knife crime is rising, our message saves lives.

And for families already affected, we provide the safe space and support they need to carry on.

How You Can Help

Whether you raise £10 or £1,000 every penny makes a difference.

You can help by:

Hosting a cake sale, fun day

Taking part in a sponsored run or walk

Donating in memory of someone

Choosing Samantha’s Legacy as your charity of the year

Simply sharing our story

In Loving Memory

Samantha now rests in the arms of her big brother, Lee Madgin

05.03.86 – 18.05.17

Lee struggled deeply with losing Samantha. He sadly passed away in 2017, but his love for her remains at the heart of everything we do.

Their bond and their memory lives on in Samantha’s Legacy.

A symbol of strength. A commitment to change. A family’s promise to save lives in their name.

From Our Hearts to Yours

All of our work so far has been done voluntarily, driven by grief, love, and hope.

Receiving our MBEs from His Majesty the King was an honour but this journey has never been about titles. It’s about protecting others from the pain we’ve lived through.

With your help, we can keep Samantha’s name alive…

And ensure that no other family walks this path alone.

Thank you for standing with us.

Samantha & Lee — S & L — Samantha’s Legacy.