Sculpture planned for Ukraine aid worker's school

5 hours ago

Tamsin MelvilleCornwall

News image — Chris Parry was 28 when he was killed in Ukraine in January 2023

BBC Chris Parry is looking at the camera, you can just see his face and part of his shoulders . He has blue eyes and a short ginger beard, he is wearing a green helmet with a black chin strap and green and black clothing. In the background you can see a blue billboard with Ukrainian writing on it and a tree with bare branches. The sunlight is across Chris' face. — Chris Parry was 28 when he was killed in Ukraine in January 2023

A Cornish primary school is nearing its fundraising target to honour a former pupil killed in Ukraine with a sculpture.

Aid worker Chris Parry was 28 when he died in 2023 while rescuing civilians from the warzone in eastern Ukraine - he had helped rescue more than 400 people before being shot by Russian mercenaries.

Chris was a pupil at Kea Community Primary School near Truro and it's hoped £10,500 can be raised to install a permanent reminder of his life.

Parents Rob and Christine Parry said the plans for a sculpture were "wonderful" and the concept had brought them to tears.

Ben Dearnley A pencil sketch of a sculpture that is a tall piece of slate, it has a colourful heart in the centre and has words "for I am the heart within the stone- Chris Parry" — Sculptor Ben Dearnley said the artwork at Kea School would be a piece of Delabole slate the same height Chris Parry was

Chris Parry died in January 2023 alongside another volunteer Andrew Bagshaw, as they tried to help evacuate a woman from an area of heavy bombardment in eastern Ukraine.

The headteacher at Kea School at the time of Chris' death Katherine Hunkin said the idea was to have a permanent memorial for the former pupil in the grounds that children and the wider school community could remember him by.

"Our crowdfunding figures have grown over the last couple of months so it would be really lovely if we could hit the target so we can get going and the artist can start start his work," she said.

Sculptor Ben Dearsley will work with a piece of Delabole slate that is Chris' height which has a heart at its centre.

"I thought, wouldn't it be lovely if there was something that was really positive that could be placed within the landscape that showed the loving nature that he had," he said.

"And the heart within the stone just seemed to me perfect, so it is a big, warm heart with oranges, reds, yellows, lovely warm colours.

"I hope it will give everybody a piece of love as they go into their lessons."

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A middle aged man and woman are looking straight at the camera, you can see their head and shoulders and the bottom of a large painting is the backdrop. It has a plate on it saying "Chris Parry attended this school". The man has short grey hair and blue eyes and is wearing a white t-shirt. The woman has shoulder length blonde hair, greenish eyes and is wearing a blue tshirt and a silver necklace. — Rob and Christine Parry said the sculpture would be a fitting legacy for their son

Rob Parry said his son "loved his time" at Kea School and that it was a "lovely environment for children to grow up in".

"It's a very rural primary school in Cornwall," he added.

"And a pupil from there went on to do what Chris did, and look at the impact he's having now... the sculpture would be good for the school and certainly good for Chris as far as an ongoing legacy is concerned."

Christine Parry said Chris "wasn't a saint but going over to Ukraine he was selfless and put others before himself - and those are brilliant values."

"I think it's great for the children now to see what has happened to ex-pupils as they grow up and I think he is a very good example of what you can achieve if you want to," she added

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