AN ONLINE crowdfunder to support the building of a memorial to the Great Famine in Glasgow has surpassed its original target of £5,000 with over a month to go.
Earlier this year The Great Hunger Memorial Committee in Glasgow announced plans to commission and build a memorial to the Great Famine in Glasgow city centre - three years after Glasgow City Council had announced plans to do the same.
On Friday, May 6 the committee reached an important milestone in their journey, with the help of an online fundraiser.
A crowdfunder set up by the committee had hoped to raise £5,000 by Friday, July 1. Now with over a month to go the full amount has been raised.
The money will be used to fund a cash prize for the winning entry in a competition to find the best design for the famine memorial.
Artists and sculptors are being encouraged to submit their plans for the city centre memorial, to the committee for consideration in the competition.
During the famine more than a million people fled starvation in Ireland, with around 100,000 making their way to Glasgow.
Despite this the city has no permanent memorial to the victims. Permanent memorials already exist in Liverpool, New York and Boston, as well as across Ireland.
A message left on the fundraising site by organisers said: “We have reached our milestone of £5,000 with this part of the campaign running till July.
"We will be able to cover our online fundraising and Paypal fees as well leaving us with a full £5,000. Thank you to all of you! We are building it!”
The crowdfunder is still live and accepting donations until Friday, July 1.
