CASH has continued to flood in for our appeal to save the Accrington Pals Memorial Chapel, with our marvellous readers contributing £832 in just one week.
Typical were two people who walked into our offices and put £100 in notes down on the counter, saying they wished to remain anonymous.
Accrington man Mr Harold Green gave a generous £200 and told us: “Many years ago I was in Accrington Victoria Hospital and while I was recovering a man from the Royal British Legion came on the ward and gave me 40 cigarettes and some fruit because I had been a national serviceman in the Royal Engineers for two years.
“This made me realise what comradeship really meant. I will never forget that feeling and we must never forget those who sacrificed their lives. That is why I am making this donation.”
The appeal fund now stands at £1,508 after just two weeks.
We are aiming to raise £50,000 to save the Pals Chapel and the beautiful and historic St John’s Church in which it is based.
The appeal has been supported by Hyndburn Council leaders, Greg Pope MP and the Royal British Legion.
The 143-year-old church on Addison Street has been temporarily closed because of electrical faults.
Our target of £50,000 would guarantee its immediate future and an application has been made to English Heritage to meet the rest of the estimated £140,000 repair costs for the grade two listed building.
The Pals’ Chapel was established in 1992 and a service has been held there every year since.
This week’s donations in full are: Anon £100; Anon £5; R W Aspden £20; Miss J Charnock £20; Anon £50; K Mitton £50; Mrs Parsons £40; Mrs E Sudders £10 in memory of her uncle, James Thomas Westwell, who was one of the last surviving Pals and whose medal is in the chapel; Miss L Booth £30; A V Grady £1; Anon £100; Harold Green £200; Norman and Jean Duckworth £120; P and J G Andrews £26; Mr M J A Brooke £50; and Mrs A S Hartley £10.
We also raised £34 from the sale of a Pals-themed CD, On a Summer’s Morning in France, kindly donated to the appeal by historian Les Bond. The CDs, which include music, readings and extracts from soldiers’ letters, are on sale from our offices in Blackburn Road, Accrington, priced £8.
