A CAMPAIGN to immortalise one of Lyme Regis most famous residents has smashed its fundraising target. In spite of the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic, the campaign to build a statue of Lyme Regis fossil hunter Mary Anning has reached its target of £100,000. This amount is enough to cover the projected cost of erecting the statue of the groundbreaking palaeontologist. The project began when local schoolgirl, Evie Swire, was shocked that there was not already a statue of Anning to acknowledge her achievements. Evie, along with her mother, Anya Pearson, started the Mary Anning Rocks campaign shorty after. Ms Pearson said: Evie and I are both so thrilled that we have smashed the target. We were holding our breath as we watch the total tick closer and closer to the final amount.
BBC News
Published
image captionThe statue of Mary Anning depicts her with her dog, Tray
Early designs for a statue of Dorset palaeontologist Mary Anning have been released as campaigners make a final push to reach their funding target.
The Mary Anning Rocks campaign has been working to create a permanent memorial in Anning s hometown of Lyme Regis.
Her discoveries in the early 19th Century helped shape scientific understanding of prehistoric life, but her work was never properly recognised.
The design sketch by sculptor Denise Dutton shows Anning with her dog, Tray.
The campaign for the statue, led by 13-year-old Evie Swire, is supported by Prof Alice Roberts who appeared in a video to launch a crowdfunding bid to raise £100,000.
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