MONEY raised for the Ken Jones Statue Appeal is creeping up to the £15,000 mark.

And there are already plenty more fundraising events in the pipeline.

The appeal is to pay for a statue to commemorate the life and achievements of Welsh international rugby player and Olympic athlete, Ken Jones.

Ken was born in Blaenavon in 1921 and died in 2006, aged 84. He is best known for his winning try against the All Blacks in 1953 but also enjoyed a successful career as an Olympic sprinter.

It is believed that the project could cost as much as £80,000 for both the commissioning of the artist, Les Johnson, andmaterials for the statue.

Phil Jones, aged 52, is the only son of Ken, and is fully supporting the effort, along with former Welsh rugby players Fenton Coles, John Perkins, Terry Cobner and Chris Huish and former Newport coach Roger Powell.

Our sister paper, the Free Press has been apart of the campaign since the committee, made up of Blaenavon town councillors and local residents, formed in February 2011.

The appeal has since gained a wealth of support from the likes of Torfaen MP Paul Murphy, WRU president Dennis Gethin and former Islwyn MP Neil Kinnock.

A number of events have taken place across the county and the total currently stands at £14,565.67.

The committee is hosting a boxing event at the Workmen’s Hall, Blaenavon, onMay 25 at 7pm, to boost the fund. Ringside tickets cost £15, £10 for other areas, and are available from the Workmen’s Hall, The Neon and Blaenavon RFC.

For more information, or to become a sponsor for the event, contact Alan Jones on 07979 990006.