Appeal for 10,000 Lego pieces for memorial bench

A community appeal has been launched to collect pieces of Lego for a life size memorial lego bench in memory of a boy who passed away from cancer in 2020.

The Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation (PPBF) said they were looking for 10,000 pre-loved two by four Lego bricks for the project which could be dropped off at Aladdin's Cave or the Model Shop on Fountain Street.

Matthew Girard, from Guernsey, passed away at Southampton Hospital in 2020 aged 12 after a battle with cancer. The charity said the bench would be kept at his old school, St Martin's Primary.

Jo Priaulx, co-founder of the PPBF, said: "I think this is really helping the family, and us together, to bring something back to the community."

The charity added it was also looking to get Lego flat top plates to make the bench comfortable to sit on and some Star wars Lego mini figures due to Star Wars being Matthew's favourite.

Priaulx said Matthew's Mum Sarah and twin sister Grace loved the idea of a Lego bench as a tribute.

The PPBF said the children's bedroom in Frankie's Den, one of the charity's three flats near Southampton hospital, had also been dedicated to Matthew and was Lego-themed.

Priaulx said: "Supporting families in the here and now is vital to us, but so is continuing to walk alongside those we've come to know over the years and honouring children like Matthew, who are so dearly missed."

She said: "Following an idea from his mum, Sarah, we began to set the plans in motion for a life-size Lego bench.

"The vision is a colourful memorial bench with a difference, encouraging children to connect and play, with everyone contributing their own physical 'parts'."

Priaulx added they hoped to have the bench ready by the summer.

The charity was getting help with the project from Steph Porter, who started Guernsey Lego, who has offered support.

"We've got lots of people donating bricks at the moment so I think once it's done people are going to love to see it," Priaulx said.

She added she wanted to say thank you to everybody "that's paid interest and let's do this for the community, let's do this for Sarah and Grace."

Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.