A VILLAGE hall was filled to capacity to pay tribute to a teenager who died from cancer.

Nineteen-year-old Rosie Kilburn had battled a rare form of liver cancer for more than two years before her death on September 12.

More than 300 friends and family gathered at Broms-berrow village hall near Ledbury – many standing outside – to celebrate her life.

Poet Tony Walsh – who met Rosie at this year’s Ledbury Poetry Festival – led the proceedings. He introduced readings and also read his own composition A Poem for Rosie.

One tribute, read out on behalf of the teenager’s 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.”

After the service Rosie was buried at nearby Bromsberrow church.

Chris Kilburn, her father, 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.

“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 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 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.

He said: “We’re getting orders daily which we will fulfil. 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 about her situation right until the end of her life 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’s to tell.”

However, his daughter’s blog posts may be published as a book.