Manchester Arena attack survivors attend special UN Congress For Victims of Terror in New York

Video report by ITV Granada Reports journalist, Victoria Grimes

Survivors of the Manchester Arena attack have flown to the USA to speak in front of the the United Nations.

Nine member of the Manchester Survivors Choir, who formed to help them cope with the trauma of the night, are going to New York as part of the Bee The Difference project.

The group will be speaking at a special Congress For Victims of Terror at the UN Headquarters in Manhattan, New York, on 8 and 9 September.

They will talk about the research project - led by Dr Cath Hill who survived the attack with her 10-year-old son - which aims to help young victims of future terrorist attacks.

Bee The Difference includes research into the experiences of young people in the aftermath of the arena attack through a questionnaire survivors have helped devise.

The online survey, created by UK disaster response charity the National Emergencies Trust and Lancaster University, will be open until 17 October 2022.

It is is open to all young people affected by the Manchester Arena attack and who were under 18 when it happened, including those impacted indirectly through a loved one or friend, and those who were present at the Arena when the attack took place.

Arena survivor Lucy Jarvis said: "We have been through it now [terrorist attack] and we're coming out of the other side quite well and we've had things put in place for us to help us along the way - but other people didn't have that.

"We want to make sure that people get that in the future. We don't want this to happen again but if it does, we have something in place to get the help they need."

Mhairi Sharps, from Nationals Emergencies Trust, said: "No one has done this before.

"No one has sat down with young people and said 'what worked for you and what didn't work for you? If you could wave a magic wand and go back, what would you have asked for?'

"It's just fantastic the outcomes of this survey are going to influence across several sectors."

The findings will be shared with organisations who can help to create better outcomes for young survivors of terror including the government, healthcare and education providers.

As well as spreading their message, the Manchester Survivors Choir will also perform in front of the UN.

They will sing a song written and composed for the event by Ellie Taylor, from North Wales, who was 15 at the time of the attack.

"It's very surreal", Ellie said. "I just wanted to show our message through the words."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...