Almost £200,000 raised in memory of Warrington bombing victims

2018 marked 25 years since Colin and Wendy Parry lost their son Tim in the most tragic of circumstances, leaving two parents stricken with grief and a town in mourning.

Shortly after their son’s death, Colin called for a ‘new sense of hope’ as mourners gathered at the funeral of his 12-year-old son.

Colin and his wife Wendy’s lives were ripped apart when two IRA bombs exploded in the town centre on March 20, 1993, killing the schoolboy and three-year-old Johnathan Ball.

Speaking at Tim’s funeral, Colin shared his hopes for the future as he tried to come to terms with the devastating attack that left many more injured.

“If my son becomes a symbol for peace and gives everyone a new sense of hope after so much tragedy, then that will be Tim’s unique achievement,” Colin told the many mourners at the funeral.

Little did Colin know the lasting legacy the 12-year-old would leave behind.

“Last year went so quickly. It was unbelievable,” said Wendy as she reflected on the past 12 months.

“The anniversary was an emotional day but it’s a time when we celebrate everything we have done over the past 24 years since the charity was created.

“Who would have thought we would have still been going all these years down the line?

“When we started out all we wanted to do was make sure Tim and Johnathan were never forgotten and whatever we did made a difference – I think we’ve managed to do that.”

PICTURED: Wendy and Colin Parry

The foundation, which was named Charity of the Year at the 2018 Warrington Guardian Inspiration Awards, has since become the leading UK provider of support to victims of terrorism and to young people and communities whose lives have been affected by extremism and conflict.

The work of the foundation brings staff into contact with a range of people from youngsters and teenagers susceptible to extremism, veterans of conflict and their families as well as survivors and witnesses to acts of terrorism and violent conflict.

In honour of their life-changing work, the foundation was named as the Warrington Guardian’s charity of the year for 2018.

Throughout the year, we went behind the scenes to show the vital work of the foundation and those who have dedicated their lives to bringing about change.

To coincide with the announcement, the foundation, based in Great Sankey at the iconic Peace Centre, launched a Unique Achievement campaign with the support of the Warrington Guardian.

The aim was to raise awareness of their work and the support that can be provided while remembering Tim and Johnathan and the many more that were affected.

The team hoped to raise £150,000 in the process to enable the foundation to continue with its work.

Last year, almost £200,000 was raised through fundraisers and generous donations. This was Tim and Johnathan’s unique achievement.

“It has probably been the best year we have had since the charity started,” admitted Wendy.

This money will help to support the many victims of terror – but this would not be possible without the small yet dedicated team at the foundation who continue to make a huge difference.

“The staff that we’ve got at the moment work so hard,” said Wendy, who will always be thankful for their determination and commitment.

The BBC drama Mother’s Day also helped to raise awareness of the legacy that has been built in memory of Tim and Johnathan.

The 90-minute programme aired in September on BBC Two – a difficult watch for many but even more so for the Parrys who viewed their son’s story unfold on the small screen.

The Parry family or the foundation did not receive any payment in return for the BBC drama but agreed to the programme in pursuit of peace and to share the life-changing work that is carried out by the charity on a daily basis.

“The hard bit is keeping the doors open and making sure we’ve got the money to do what we need to do,” said Wendy, who agreed to the programme in the hope the publicity would help to ensure the future of the foundation for many years to come.

“People say to my why don’t you have volunteers that run the programmes, but we can’t. We have to have professionals running the programmes.”

But what’s next for the foundation? That’s an easy question for Wendy, who is driven by her love for her son.

“Colin and I will be fundraising for the rest of our lives,” laughed Wendy, as she looked to the future.

“As long as we continue to raise the money to keep the doors open we will continue with what we are doing.”

To find out more about the work of the Peace Foundation or to make a donation visit peace-foundation.org.uk.