COLIN Parry has spoken out on the importance of retaining the name of the Peace Centre when it is taken over by the council – highlighting that the building is a memorial to the two boys who lost their lives during the Warrington bombings.
The father of Tim Parry, one of two victims who were tragically murdered when the IRA detonated bombs on Bridge Street in 1993, has said he will be ‘furious’ if both Tim and Johnathan Ball’s names are removed from the name of the building when the council’s plans eventually get under way.
The Peace Centre, Colin said, was created as a memorial for 12-year-old Tim and three-year-old Johnathan whose lives were cut short following the devastating terrorist attack.
Founded in 1995 by Colin and Wendy Parry, the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation was created as a charity to raise money as well as to provide programmes to help those affected by terrorism learn to heal and come together to achieve peace – in the hope of preventing future tragedies.
In June 2022, a report initially went to cabinet to approve the investment to develop the Peace Centre facility, with the council acquiring the Peace Centre building as part of the scheme.
The report detailed plans to create a multi-functional site, supporting the development of a new local service offer for young people aged over 19 and additional support for people aged over 16, with the relocation of sixth form services from Woolston Learning Village.
And at the time, Cllr Sarah Hall, said the council remained ‘fully committed to investing in the Peace Centre as a valuable facility for our young people with SEND’.
She added: “This new hub will continue to be shaped by the views of our young people, their parents, carers and key stakeholders, and will ultimately help to prepare people for adulthood, supporting development of our young people towards paid employment, independent living, and living active, healthy lives.”
Speaking on the 31st anniversary of the Warrington Bombings, Colin and Wendy explained how while the foundation will continue to develop and carry out its important work, the ‘beast’ they referred to as the peace centre has been a challenge to continue to find funding to run.
“It is a big beast that costs a lot of money to run, so trying to constantly raise money to keep the Peace Centre going and fund our programmes and pay staff to do those programmes is a lot,” Wendy said.
Colin added: “We would not be here today if it was not for the fortuitous interview with the BBC that we did outside the Peace Centre last year.”
The chairman of the charity explained how the BBC interviewer had probed as to ‘what the future is’ for the Peace Centre, to which Colin replied that it was ‘at great risk because we are not getting the work and income we need’.
“She said to me ‘so how much do you need, give me a number’. So, I just said £100,000 would be nice.
“The next day a woman rang me on an anonymous number and gave us £100,000.
“The point is without any contributions we would not be here. And somebody’s kindness meant we could carry on,” he said.
And as the funding means the Peace Centre can continue to run until the date of the council’s take over is confirmed, Colin casted his mind towards the future of the building that he cherishes as a tribute to his son.
He said: “If the council take the boys’ names off the building, I will be furious.
“They can take the Peace Centre off because it will not be the Peace Centre anymore, but this place was built in their memories.”
Wendy added: “It will not be our building and we have got no authority, so what happens here or what it is called will not be our decision.”
She explained that the foundation will have a separate door at the end of the building where they will be situated, and they will have the Peace Centre’s name on that wall where the door is which will still be visible from the main road.
Colin added: “I want it to be the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball education centre.”
He highlighted that other schools in the town include names that are important to the town’s history, emphasising ‘Tim and Johnathan are an important part of the town’s history’.
Warrington Borough Council are yet to confirm the fate of the name of the building, however a spokesperson commented: “We are in the early stages of acquiring the building which will become a specialist SEND school.
“We are working closely with the Peace Foundation and the NSPCC.”
Speaking on the changes that are set to come into place for the Peace Centre after it being the home to the foundation for more than two decades, Wendy said: “It will be very strange. We have been here 24 years. We will go from having the whole building, to having two rooms.
“Not having the run of the building is going to be really strange and we have been told under no circumstances will we be allowed in the rest of the building.
“I think in 12 months to two years, we will probably retire anyway, and other people will run the foundation.
“We will still continue to be trustees of the foundation.”
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