American television personality Fred Rogers famously once said: 'When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping'.'

And, after the horrific explosion at last night's Ariana Grande concert in Manchester which claimed the lives of 22 people and left 59 injured, Manchester wasn't in short supply of shining beacons of hope and love across the city, from people looking to help keep unsupervised children who had attended the concert safe.

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One of those helpers was Paula Robinson, a 48-year-old who was reportedly at Victoria train station next to the arena with her husband when she felt the explosion and saw teenage girls screaming and running away from the Manchester Evening News Arena.

The 48-year-old, who lives 40 miles east of Manchester in West Dalton, told Reuters she 'ran out' of the area seconds after the explosion and 'got the teens to run' with her.

In the moments that followed, she made it her mission to take the teenagers to a nearby hotel and shared her phone number on social media to let concerned parents know she was looking after around 50 children.

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'Parents were frantic running about trying to get to their children,' she told the news outlet.

'There were lots and lots of children at Holiday Inn' she added.

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Looking after the teenagers, Robinson – who is currently no longer with the children and recommends worried guardians contact the official helpline number, below – took to Facebook in the aftermath of the attack to announce:

'We have got about 50 kids with us waiting to be picked up, they are safe we will look after them.

'Please re-post for any parents with children at MEN [Manchester Arena]. We have taken as many kids as we can to Holiday Inn we will keep them safe and stay with them,' she added.

Representatives from the Holiday Inn have since confirmed there are no unaccompanied children in the hotel, with a spokesperson telling the Manchester Evening News: 'A couple of our hotels in the wider area did offer a place to stay. In terms of children being brought to that hotel, on Goadsby Road, that was incorrect.'

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Robinson's loving act came moments after a lone male suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device as fans left the concert at around 10.30pm, according to the Independent.

Following Robinson's selfless act, people have taken to Twitter to praise her kindness and compassion shown to concertgoers.

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However, Robinson isn't the only person in Manchester offering support and shelter to those in need.

The local Holiday Inn has been offering cups of tea, phone chargers, lifts and hugs on social media, using the hashtag #RoomForManchester, while others – including taxi drivers – from the city have been quick to show their support.

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This morning, a JustGiving page has been set up to raise £50,000 to help and support families during this tragic time. Since its launch, it has received over £24,000 donations. You can donate money here.

Police have set up a helpline on 0161 856 9400 for people searching for missing concertgoers.

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Katie O'Malley
Site Director

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.