CARING townsfolk of St Helens have raised the first £33,000 towards the Centenary Appeal target of £65,000 in aid of the NSPCC in the town.

The appeal will run until the target is reached.

It is being undertaken to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the NSPCC in St Helens, the last of the charity's North West branches to celebrate a centenary of work in the local community.

Mrs Elsie Roberson, who chairs the appeals, said: "We are delighted to reach this milestone in our appeal target. We know that child abuse is a major problem in St Helens and that the town has been designated as an area of acute need by the European Community. The progress we are making in our appeal will bring direct benefit to local children.

"The centre which will be funded by this appeal will be located in the heart of St Helens, easily accessible for adults and children. We are working closely with the NSPCC team and the local agencies in developing the centre and will be able to provide more details on the location and staffing arrangements shortly."

Before setting up the appeal Mrs Roberson traced as many of the descendants of 'founding families' or office holders of the St Helens branch as possible, and invited them to take up honorary roles. Everyone she contacted accepted and those who are no longer directly connected with the area are still proud of their family ties with the town.

A special service commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the NSPCC in St Helens and focussing on children will be held at the Parish Church, Church Square, St Helens on Sunday, April 28, at 10.30am.

The service will be attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside (Mr Alan Waterworth), who will be received into the borough by the Mayor of St Helens, Councillor Keith Deakin and a number of VIPs associated with the NSPCC appeal will also be attending.

The sermon will be preached by the Rev. Colin Critchley, former senior psychiatrist in education for Knowsley. Clergy from all denominations and parts of the St Helens borough will be leading the service. A special feature will be a presentation on children over 100 years by children from the Sunday Schools.

A Centenary Lunch will be held after the service in the Parish Rooms above the Church Hall. The tickets are £7 and include a four-course Sunday lunch with a slice of Centenary birthday cake. Local businesses have been sponsoring the candles on the cake at £25 each.

Those who want tickets for the Centenary Lunch should telephone 0151 426 7160.

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