The A L Lewis VC Memorial Fund is working with the support of Herefordshire County Council to honour local hero, Allan Leonard Lewis. They are commissioning a life-size bronze statue of him to stand in a prominent position in Hereford in the Old Market Shopping development.

The artist creating the commemorative statue is Jemma Pearson, who sculpted the statue of Elgar which stands in the Hereford Cathedral grounds.

Jemma told the Ross Gazette: “The whole enterprise is well underway with funding going very well - the big bronze statue itself fully funded but its stone setting and long term statue maintenance costs still requiring ongoing fundraising effort.”

The 20” maquette cast in a look alike bronze material presently stands in the window of Timothy Hawkins gallery in Church Street Hereford, close to Hereford Cathedral.

Jemma added: “Hopefully the display has been catching the eye of the Poppy Window visiting folk, along with the drawings and details of his whole story.”

Jemma has also just finished the clay of a souvenir (about the size of a paperweight) of the statue project - designed using details that will be on the circular bronze base of the statue.

This will be sold as a limited edition fundraiser for the whole project, and she is hoping to cast this in solid bronze as quickly as possible so it will be accessible to as many people as possible and reasonably priced.

Allan Leonard Lewis was born in 1895 in Whitney-on-Wye in West Herefordshire. His father worked as a carpenter and Allan was one of nine children. They later moved to the neighbouring parish of Brilley where the family remained until the death of his parents. This humble young man performed extraordinary acts of heroism during the First World War leading to the award of the Victoria Cross. To date, Allan Leonard Lewis remains Herefordshire’s only county-born Victoria Cross winner.

To donate to the Allan Leonard Lewis Statue, visit: www.justgiving.com/lewisvcmemorial