APPLAUSE filled Bromsberrow Village Hall as friends and family joined together to pay tribute to Rosie Kilburn, who was killed by cancer at the age of just 19.

The hall was full to capacity with many more standing on the patio outside as more than 300 people attended the celebration of her life yesterday (Monday September 26).

Proceedings were led by poet Tony Walsh, who Rosie had been particularly taken by during a family visit to this summer’s Ledbury Poetry Festival.

He introduced readings from family and friends, as well as reading his own composition simply entitled A Poem for Rosie.

One tribute, read out on behalf of her 12-year-old sister Sylvie, said: “She never went a day without making someone smile and I hope the little memories continue to do that for ever more.”

Rosie, who had battled a rare form of liver cancer for more than two years before her death on September 12, was buried at nearby Bromsberrow Church after the service.

Her father Chris Kilburn said: “It was fabulous for us to see so many and such a diversity of people there for Rosie. So many people contributed to the planning and organisation of the day and we would like to thank them sincerely.”

He added: “Rosie was just a ‘life-force’. She seemed to have this capacity for making everybody feel special but also being very exacting and demanding in everything she did.

“Inspiring is a word that a lot of people;e have used and I think that was the case. We looked back at her year 11 yearbook recently and people were even saying it about her back then.”

Her mum Jo Davidson said: “We said when Rosie died that if she had lived longer she would have changed the world. But the last few days have shown what a true inspiration she has been to so many people, and she lives on in all the things she has done.”

In 2009 Rosie set up her own charity fund-raising business the Knock-On Effect, selling a range of T-shirts and other items. It raised more than £20,000 in its first two years and Mr Kilburn said the family planned to keep it running.

“We’re getting orders daily which we will fulfil,” he said. “People want to raise money and there are already some events in the pipeline. We will continue to raise money and distribute it.”

Rosie was also a dedicated blogger and kept followers updated on her situation right up until the end through the Knock-On Effect website.

Mr Kilburn said: “We’ve talked about the blog and people have said they would like it to continue, but we just don’t have as strong a story as Rosie to tell.”

He added, however, that there had been talk of publishing Rosie’s blog posts as a book Rosie is also survived by her brother Cal and boyfriend Toby Wells.