Memorial campaign for Killamarsh victims
FUNDRAISERS LOOK TO BUY BENCH AND ‘SNOWFLAKES’
A GROUP of schoolchildren have launched a campaign to remember four victims who died in Killamarsh.
John Paul Bennett, 13, was one of the victims found at an address in Chandos Crescent on Sunday, September 19 and he had a close circle of friends who had been by his side since they all started school at the age of five.
Those friends have kicked off a fundraising campaign to remember John Paul, his sister Lacey Bennett, their mum Terri Harris and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent.
Connie’s elder sister has also got involved.
Their aim is to raise enough money to buy a bench, which will be placed at their school in Sheffield, Outwood Academy, and a snowflake which would be put on the outside of Sheffield Children’s Hospital and would light up at night.
Originally the appeal had a target of £1,500, but such has been the response that they’ve gone far beyond that in just a few days, recently the total is £2,695.
Helen O’Neill, who’s set up the GoFundMe page, says the extra money will allow them to go further in remembering their friends.
She said: “At this moment we can get the memorial bench and two snowflakes to light up the sky at Christmas, one will be on children’s hospital and the other at Crystal
Peaks shopping centre”.
They are also planning a number of other fundraising events including a charity football match, charity night and two of the friends are running/walking/jogging 100 miles in October.
If you want to donate to the appeal, you can do so by searchng for the Memoria bench and Children’s hospital snowflake link.
Terri, 35, Lacey, 11, John Paul, 13 and Connie, 11, were found at the house on Chandos Crescent shortly before 7.30am on Sunday, September 19. In an inquest a few days later it was said their death had been as a result of a “violent attack”.
Damien Bendall, aged 31, from Chandos Crescent in Killamarsh, was arrested at the address and was later charged with four counts of murder. He’s due to appear at Derby Crown Court in November.