Rhodri statue fund exceeds £20,000 mark

THE Rhodri Morgan Statue Fund appeal, which is being run by a group of volunteers and friends of the former First Minister, has topped £20,000, thanks to the latest donations.

The fundraising team’s next big push will be a dinner on December 6 in Cardiff City Hall – open to all who’d like to book a table – to help them get closer to their target of £125,000.

The statue will be located in Cardiff Bay, opposite the Senedd where Mr Morgan served as First Minister from 2000 until 2009. Widely considered to have been the father of devolution in Wales, he died of a heart attack while cycling near his home outside Cardiff in May 2017.

Cardiff councillor Dilwar Ali, who spearheads the fundraising campaign, said: “The idea for having a statue came up soon after Rhodri died because we thought there should be a way of marking his place in Welsh history.

“He made an outstanding contribution to Wales and this will be a fitting tribute to one of the true giants of Welsh politics. The fund has already raised over £20,000 and we are hopeful the dinner will propel us over the halfway mark towards out target.”

Cardiff University medical ethics professor Meena Upadhyaya said: “Rhodri’s enthusiasm and ability to communicate with people of all ethnicities was clear and he deeply touched the hearts of people from BME communities in Wales. They are enthusiastically supporting the campaign for a statue. A recent fundraising event, which raised more than £3,000 in one evening, saw people from at least 24 different countries represented.”

The fundraising dinner on December 6 in City Hall is being supported by Swansea University, Cardiff University, Bangor University, Trinity St David, University of Wales and Freshwater PR. Tributes to Mr Morgan will be led by the current First Minister Mark Drakeford, who succeeded him as AM for Cardiff West and was previously a senior adviser to him on social policy.

Mr Morgan’s brother Prys Morgan, an emiritus professor of history at Swansea University, will also speak, and there will be live music, an auction, video tributes and a gallery of photos from the late First Minister’s life. For booking details and sponsorship opportunities, contact david@ rhodrimorganstatuefund.wales