Recruitment drive looks to sign up fans of Lord Hill's statue in Shrewsbury
A major recruitment drive was launched today to sign up thousands of people to a campaign group looking to save Shrewsbury's crumbling Lord Hill statue is being launched.
The Friends of Lord Hill's Column group is using the start of 2014 to begin their campaign to help fund a replica statue in earnest.
Rev Richard Hayes, resident priest of St Alkmund's Church and the chairman of the campaign group, said he hoped thousands of people from across the county will sign up to become members.
A new website for the group is in the process of being designed, and membership will cost £5.
A public meeting will be held at the Lord Hill Hotel in Abbey Foregate on February 27 at 7pm, with a talk from Rev Hayes on the historical importance of Lord Hill.
It is also hoped a representative from English Heritage will be at the evening to discuss the work needed to replace the statue.
Rev Hayes said he hoped the people of Shropshire would get behind the campaign to replace the crumbling monument, which is currently encased in scaffolding.
"It is our hope people will wish to become Friends.
"To become a Friend, there will be a payment of £5.
" It isn't too much to ask we hope," he said.
Last year, Shropshire Council set aside £140,000 to cover the costs of temporary scaffolding and repairs. But a public meeting voted for a plan replacing the statue with a stone replica in a project estimated to cost of about £350,000.
This plan has been blocked for now by English Heritage until an agreed timescale is in place.
Rev Hayes said having a popular Friends group will help Shropshire Council when it comes to bid for grant funding to pay for a replacement statue.
"Our task is to gain as many Friends as we possibly can so that the local authority can say when making an application for a grant they have the public behind them," he said.
"This makes a big difference. We want 10,000 or 20,000 Friends.
"We want lots and lots of Friends and are pitching membership very low."
He said the recently-successful funding bid for the Flax Mill regeneration had been aided by the support of an active Friends group for the scheme.
"The Friends made the difference for the Flax Mill.
"They will make the difference for Lord Hill," he said.
