Charity shop to top up statue fund (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Walton: Charity shop to top up statue fund

7:30am Friday 18th January 2013 in News

FUNDRIASERS have opened a shop to raise cash for a statue of a Walton war hero.

A group of residents have been working to raise £50,000 to fund a memorial to Private Herbert Columbine.

The Walton soldier died heroically in France during the First World War.

Fundraisers have raised more than £36,000 of the cash needed to complete the statue, and have now set up a charity shop to help top up the fund.

It officially opens on High Street, Walton, on Monday.  

Mike Turner, from the statue committee said: “We’re ready to open the Columbine shop now and we’re looking forward to getting started.

“It’s going to be selling all kinds of second hand items and we are looking for people to donate more items for us to sell.

“We hope this will get us over the finish line and it gives people a chance to come in, see what we’re doing and what it’s all about, and support us by buying or donating something.

“We have worked very hard to get to this point and we’re almost there.

“Enough has been raised for the sculptor John Doubleday to start making the statue now, but we still need a little more.

“It will be great for our town if we can get this done.”