After months of collecting 15,000 bricks – donated by islanders – and planning with Lego enthusiast Steph Porter, the Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation has brought pieces of the community together in a unique bench to honour Matthew Girard.
Matthew died of cancer at the age of 12 in 2020, and the charity has been working closely with his mum Sarah to create a special memorial for the school community that celebrates his love for Lego, Star Wars and Manchester City.
The bench was presented at his old school, where he started with twin sister Grace, in 2012.
‘They were so excited to start secondary school at Les Beaucamps, and both had their uniforms ready to go. Grace started, but unfortunately Matthew and I spent the next year in Southampton Hospital and stayed at PPBF’s compassionate housing while he battled cancer,’ said Mrs Girard.
‘There’s now a Lego-themed room dedicated to him in one of the flats there, called Matthew’s Hideaway. But we wanted something to remember him by in Guernsey too, and thought a Lego bench would be absolutely perfect. But getting one has been hard.’
Project manager Sammy Meerveld, who works at the PPBF charity – which supports local families with premature babies and sick children – came up with the idea to round-up pre-loved bricks, and incorporated the help of local businesses for the bench’s secure, and intricate design. The end result is a multi-coloured impressive feature, that has a brick added from every pupil, and special pieces that represent all of Matthew’s favourite things.
‘The community effort snowballed, and it’s been a really humbling experience,’ said Mrs Girard.
‘I know some little children who have had to get certain pieces, that they treasure, to put in the bench. Things like that. It’s been absolutely touching, I’m so pleased.’
At the grand unveiling, the school sat outside for a ceremony and also entered a Lego raffle to raise funds for the charity.
‘We’re absolutely thrilled that we have a very fitting tribute to Matthew, who was a much-loved pupil at St Martin’s,’ said head teacher Clare Giles.
‘The creativity in the bench is just very much Matthew. It incorporates all the little bits about Matthew individually that make him so very special. Every time you look at it, you’ll see something different – the amount of hours, thought and work that has gone into this is incredible.
‘And his legacy will live on, which is really important. I was deputy head when he was here and knew him very well. He loved building models, and exploring the world – learning about space and pirates. But on that football pitch his competitive spirit came alive.
‘We feel privileged to have known Matthew. He will live in our hearts forever.’
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