Thetford women want Tommy on guard at town's war commemoration

A Thetford town councillor and her friend are trying to buy a 6ft Tommy silhouette for the town's World War One remembrance event.

Cllr Jenny Hollis and Sue McDonald are trying to raise funds to purchase the £750 aluminium figure by doing raffles and tombolas as well as the fund-raising to purchase it for the town.

Cllr Hollis said: "It was Sue's idea originally and with this year obviously commemorating the end of World War One I thought I would help her."

The silhouette comes from the There But Not There project, who support charities such as Help for Heroes, Walking with the Wounded and the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation.

Cllr Hollis said: "The town's war memorial in the market square was bought by donations from the town and it would be nice for the people to not only help Thetford in this way but also all the charities the project gives to as well."

The idea is to have the silhouette on the roof of the Royal British legion building in the market Square pointed towards the town's memorial, standing guard over it for this year's November event but in the future the town's people would have a say in the placement of the Tommy through public consultation.

Both women have military connections, with Sue having worked in the Royal Air Force and Cllr Hollis being an ex-RAF wife and she feels people should donate and show their pride in the country's military forces, past and present.

She said: "Obviously we would like to thank the people who have already donated, but we want this to be something bought by the people of Thetford for the people of Thetford for this year and for future remembrance events in the town."

Cllr Hollis will be out on the market square this Sunday with the Tommy and a bucket collection or if you wish to donate online, go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/suzanne-macdonald