CUSTODIANS of the borough’s rich past now have more up-todate facilities thanks to the help of a former Mayor and Mayoress.
Tom and Sonja Wilson have officially opened a new kitchen at Chilvers Coton Heritage Centre largely built with money they raised during their year of office.
They contributed £5,000 to the cost of the kitchen which John Burton, vice-chairmen of the Heritage Centre, said will make a ‘huge difference.’
He added: “We are very grateful to Tom and Sonja for their help. The new kitchen will be welcomed by all of our users groups and will also be an important source of interest for us.”
Many thousands of pounds have also been spent on refurbishing and restoring the windows and the roof of what was once the old Coton Free School Avenue Road, Nuneaton.
“We now have a nice warm and comfortable building for people to use and to visit,” said John Burton.
The former mayor and mayoress have also given £5,000 to Bedworth Heritage Centre which now embraces both the Parsonage Project and the Nurse’s House in the town centre.
But the bulk of the money they raised while they were first citizens of the borough in 2009/10 went to the Meningitis Trust.
They chose to support the charity because they almost lost their son to the killer disease and handed over £15,000 to Catherine Ind, the charities’ national organiser.
Hughie Todner, who chaired their appeal committee, said: “It was decided that no target would be fixed, but we merely asked everyone to give what they could afford.
“In this way the aim was to raise as much as possible without placing a financial burden on anyone and it was with some considerable pleasure that the couple were able to announce that their Charity Appeal figure was over £25,000.”
He added: “The generosity and response by the people of the borough and the surrounding area was tremendous and the amount raised in the then economic climate must be considered a marvellous achievement.”
The appeal fund was wound up with £275 interest earned on the money that had been invested with the Co-operative Bank also being handed over to Deaf Awareness and a closing balance of £18 was donated to the bank’s charity fund.
Groups and organisations throughout the borough donated to the appeal and there were more than a hundred individual contributions.
Hughie Todner said: “The charity appeal not only helped to raise much-needed financial support, but has raised a considerable awareness of the terrible disease of meningitis and, hopefully, made some small contribution in helping to eradicate it completely so that future generations will not suffer from it.”
