Councillor plans landmark walk

6:20pm Tuesday 25th March 2008

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A FORMER mayor is walking five-and-a-half miles to raise money for the renovation of a historic Pinner building.

Councillor Lurline Champagnie (cons, Pinner) will be walking from Wittington Hospital, in Highgate, to Mansion House, in Walbrook, central London, to raise money for The West House, in Pinner Memorial Park.

She said: "I want to do this walk to raise awareness.

"I have the ambition to ask every house in the borough to contribute a pound but whatever happens we need to raise some money for the renovations at West House."

The walk will be on Sunday, March 30.

Friends of West House, a group of Pinner residents who want to save the building, have been raising money to restore it for a number of years.

It has so far raised around £950,000.

The majority has been raised by residents but Harrow Council has also contributed around £250,000.

Cynthia Wells, a member of the group, said: "This is going to be a project which brings the whole community together.

"It isn't going to be for one part of the community only, people will just be able to walk in."

Friends of West House hopes to turn the building into a museum to celebrate the work of cartoonist Heath Robinson, and an exhibition space for the community.

Ms Wells, who is also a trustee of The West House & Heath Robinson Museum Trust, said: "We are hoping the Heath Robinson part of the museum will be free."