Southport Pleasureland owner calls on the community to help raise £1M for charity

On the 1 September 2024 a special fundraising event will take place at Southport Pleasureland and everyone is invited!

Southport Pleasureland owner Norman Wallis has teamed up with Royal British Legion in Southport to host a fundraising event in the wake of the town’s recent tragedy.

It will be a day of music, entertainment and fun activities, and it’s intended to be a safe place for the community to come together and start to heal, whilst raising essential funds for local hospitals in the region and North West Air Ambulance.

In response to the tragic events of 29th July 2024 in Southport, Southport Pleasureland and the Royal British Legion will host a family friendly event at the town’s iconic fun park. The event will be a key step in an ambitious plan to raise £1 Million for local services.

Norman Wallis said:

“This is a chance for our community to come together and show their support for our local hospitals. The work they do is incredibly important, and we’re lucky to have these NHS services, but it’s well known that they are underfunded and need support. We’re incredibly grateful to have a world class hospital like Alder Hey so close by, and we want to do what we can to help.

“And of course, we saw first hand the vital work that North West Air Ambulance do. Without them, the events of that tragic day could have been even worse, and they are so reliant on donations, so we wanted to make sure they’re included in our fundraising activities.

“Nothing we can do will be able to take away the pain that losing Bebe, Alice, and Elsie has caused so many people, but we wanted to do something positive to help the community. So many children have been affected by what’s happened, and hopefully this event will give them an opportunity to come and just be kids for a day in a safe place where they can have fun with their families before they return to school in September.”

Fundraiser event. Credit: Southport Pleasureland

Southport lost its Children’s A&E services over 20 years ago, leaving the closest children’s services in Ormskirk.

Many of the town’s residents have to attend Alder Hey in emergency situations, which can cause delays to essential care for young people.

With Southport’s adult A&E services under increasing pressure, many are calling for a walk-in health centre which can treat both adults and children in the town.

While the £1M goal may not be able to achieve this, the organisers are hopeful that local and national government will look at what has happened and realise that the town needs better services for children, and make it a priority to provide these.

Details of the event are still being finalised, but tickets are priced at £15pp, with children under 90cm free. For this, guests gain access to Pleasureland, and get unlimited access to the rides and attractions all day, as well as entertainment, music, craft stalls, and more.

Tickets can now be purchased via the Pleasureland Ticket booking system and all funds will be donated to local hospitals and North West Air Ambulance.

Further details can be found on facebook here where people intending to attend can also register their interest here.

In addition to the main event, on 1 September, the team have also set up a GoFundMe page to support the aim of raising £1M.