Port Sunlight Hillsborough Memorial Appeal raises £15,000 – and is on track to reach £26,000 target by Christmas

Oct 21 2009 by Lorna Hughes, Bromborough and Bebington News

A CAMPAIGN to replace a memorial to Hillsborough victims in Port Sunlight has passed the halfway mark.

Port Sunlight Village Trust has raised £15,000 towards the £26,500 required to restore the Hillsborough Memorial Garden in the village, which was vandalised in June.

The money will pay for restoration of the Portland stonework, improvements to security and the siting of an interpretation panel highlighting the importance of the memorial.

Latest donations include:

l £2,000 from Bromborough-based Redrow Homes.

Regional director David Shard said: “We hope the donation will help the Village Trust to carry out the necessary repairs to the Hillsborough Memorial Garden, which is a very fitting tribute to those affected by the disaster.”

l Staff and customers at Asda in Bromborough raised just under £750 through a bucket collection at tills.

Kath Lynch, Port Sunlight Museum manager, said: “The trust is staggered by the continued enthusiasm shown by so many.

“It is really encouraging to know that people are behind the trust.”

The next major fundraising event will be a Hallowe’en “spook-tacular” at Port Sunlight Garden Centre on Saturday, October 31 between 6 and 9pm.

Families will be treated to an evening of pumpkin-carving, face-painting, storytelling and fancy-dress. Admission is £5 per child, which includes a spooky goody bag. All proceeds will go to the appeal.

Hillsborough Memorial Appeal raffle tickets will be available to buy on the night and from Port Sunlight Museum until December 2, when the draw will be made by Gerry Marsden.

Prizes include a holiday in Port Sunlight, an autographed Liverpool FC football, a flight in a light aircraft, and signed t-shirts and a poster from Wirral band The Coral.

It is hoped funds can be raised by Christmas to enable the restoration work to begin early in the New Year, with a rededication of the memorial taking place in spring 2010.

For more information about the memorial appeal visit www.portsunlightvillage.com or call 644 4800.Š