THE Pals appeal received a major boost following a hugely successful coffee morning which raised £506 in aid of the memorial chapel.

The event was held at the Willow Close Community Centre, Clayton-le-Moors, with people young and old travelling from all the surrounding districts to show their support.

Former Hyndburn Mayor and councillor Cath Thom helped to organise the event because her father, William Gilmartin, was an Accrington Pal who survived.

Several other residents of Willow Close also feel closely linked with the appeal because many had relatives who themselves were Pals.

Cath, who is an alderman of the borough, said she was taken aback by how many people turned out on the day.

She said: “Everyone worked very, very hard. To raise £506 in a small community centre goes to show the feelings and emotions that people have for the memory of the Accrington Pals.

“I felt it was a little bit of a bad reflection that we could not retain the chapel, so when we heard about the appeal we decided to do our best to support it.”

CLICK HERE to see more on the appeal and the total raised so far