Elemie Wainwright: £50,000 raised to restore beloved park in memory of Sheffield schoogirl
An appeal to restore a park loved by Sheffield schoolgirl Elemie Wainwright has raised over £50,000 with thousands more on the way.
It’s been two weeks since the residents of Mosborough celebrated the life of Elemie, 11, who died in a collision with a van in June. Hundreds turned out dressed in pink to mourn the young girl and flooded the streets with colour.
Now, a fundraiser launched by a community group and championed by Elemie’s mother, Jodie, to restore the climbing frame at Elemie’s favourite park has smashed through its target and reached over £52,000.
In a post on the Mosborough Community Group Facebook page on July 13, Jodie shared how well wishers have donated thousands at a time, while contractors have offered to do the work for free.
She wrote: “The park will be so beautiful.
“Thank you to every single person who’s donated. Keep sharing.
“We have also had offers in of companies/ certified contractors willing to complete works free of charge if allowed.”
Jodie wrote that over £30,000 has come from a GoFundMe set up by the Friends of Plumbley Park, which was launched prior to Elemie’s death after the popular playground’s climbing frame was condemned in May.
Another £388 has come from bucket rattles, while family friend Ben O’Leary arranged an offline collection that raised an astonishing £18,565.
More fundraisers are also on the way.
One Sheffield five-year-old boy has pledged to walk the equivalent of a marathon, while a sweet/bracelet sale will reportedly be held Mosborough Primary School on the last day of term.