by Stephen Waite

swaite@thekmgroup.co.uk

A mystery donor has rescued plans for a new war memorial by donating £15,000.

The stonework at Holy Trinity Church, Milton Regis, was damaged beyond repair in the 1987 storm.

A committee had raised £20,000 to replace it but had fallen short of the £35,000 target.

Then, last week, an anonymous caller pledged to donate the missing money after reading about the memorial in the Sunday Telegraph.

Milton Regis War Memorial Committee publicity officer, Elvie Lowe (pictured below left), said: "This gentleman rang me and said: 'Can I give you £15,000?’ I must have said 'thank you’ 10 times and never got his name.

"I gave him details of our treasurer and the money is in the bank."

The Sunday Telegraph article came about after Keith Nevols, a member of the Holy Trinity congregation, wrote to the paper, which is running a Save our War Memorials campaign.

He said: "I wrote in to bring it to their attention. As a result, someone made the anonymous donation for the balance.

"I’m really pleased. I always thought it was strange having a Remembrance Service and laying wreaths at a hole in the ground. Whoever it is we are very grateful to them."

Royal British Legion members Rob Jordan and Larry Smithers instigated a project to replace it more than a decade ago.

A committee was formed and designers and stone masons were asked for their ideas, a shortlist of three was drawn up and members of the public voted for their favourite, a design by Elliot Brotherton.

However, raising the £35,000 proved far from straightforward. Mrs Lowe said: "We got to £20,000 and we just stalled.

"We’d gone to all the places we could think of. I had even made some labels up to go on tins to go in shops. We were down to pennies."

The committee had decided to ask Mr Brotherton if he could create a £20,000 version because it could not raise the full amount before last week’s boost.

Committee treasurer and Sittingbourne and Milton Regis Royal British Legion branch chairman Fred Langworthy received a letter from the anonymous benefactor, a man who wrote that he had made the donation because his family were originally from Kent.

Mr Langworthy added: "We’re over the moon. I’ve spoken to Larry and he’s astounded. Both he and Rob are getting on and wanted to see it done.

"Larry keeps saying it’s not a glory thing, it’s to pay respect to those who have gone and made the ultimate sacrifice.

"Now, hopefully, we can get this show on the road."

Planning permission for the new memorial has been granted but needs approval from the diocese.

The committee is due to meet tomorrow to decide the next step.