CAMPAIGNERS raised over £1000 at the weekend as part of the push to get a statue erected in honour of Newport boxing hero David Pearce.

A team of fundraisers toured Newport pubs on Friday, collecting £710 and raising awareness of the campaign.

Three further donations of £100 were made over the past couple of days which took the total raised for the weekend to £1000.

Luke Pearce, one of the organisers of the fundraising committee, said he was thrilled by the result of the weekend’s fundraising. “It was great to meet so many people who were backing the campaign and who gave so generously,” he added.

“I’d like to thank everyone who put their hands in their pockets.”

He paid particular tribute to the three donors who gave £100. “I’d like to thank Alan Troy, an ex-Newport man who is now a judge in Australia, Gary Gassor of the Martial Arts Fitness Centre in Maindee and Kieran McInerney,” he said.

He also said the group had enjoyed a great reception as they toured the pubs.

“So many people were behind it, but it was good to explain to some people who hadn’t heard of David what the campaign was all about.”

The fundraising drive is looking to raise £35,000 to pay for the memorial to the boxer, also known as ‘Bomber’, who was British and Welsh Heavyweight Champion in the 1980s and one the most successful fighters to come out of Newport.

Luke was joined by former boxer Andy Gerrard, who fought Lennox Lewis and sparred with David during his career.

“It was great that Andy could come,” he said. “He told me what a fine fighter David was and that he could have been world champion.

“It was great to get that insight from him.

“He said it was fantastic that we were doing this.”

The venues visited included Minstrels Sports Bar, the Handpost, the Royal Oak, the Angel, the Cross Keys, the Lamb, Breeze, Break and dish, the Hereford Arms and Pill Harriers clubhouse. They are each among 22 places currently showcasing a picture distributed by Luke to mark the boxer’s 22 professional fights.

The appeal has now raised £5,000 and is nearly half-way to its first-stage target of £12,000.

The plan is for the statue of the fighter to be erected in the corner of Gilligan’s Island.

There are plans to stage a number of fundraising events in the city across the coming months, but you can support the campaign now by going to the crowdfunding website justgiving.com/crowdfunding/david-pearce

Send your cheques made out to ‘The David Bomber statue fund’ to: Cwm Cottage, Cwm Lane, Rogerstone, Newport NP10 9GQ