THIS WEEK IN 1986: Mothers march to ask Thatcher for donation

Two Cosham women set off from Portsmouth to get a charity donation from the prime minister '“ and they walked to London to ask for it.

By The Newsroom

Published 3rd Oct 2017, 07:00 BST

Charity walkers, Sylvia Jarman, left, and Suzanne Sharples are waved off from Guildhall steps by the lord mayor of Portsmouth, Councillor Marie Seaman and the lady mayoress, Miss Gladys Howard

Suzanne Sharples, 24 and Slyvia Jarman, 36, both of Lindisfarne Close, were collecting money for the Special Care Baby Unit at St Mary’s Hospital, Portsmouth, and had already got £350 before taking the first step.

‘All four of my babies were in special care – they would have died without it,’ Mrs Sharples said.

The lord mayor Councillor Marie Seaman, waved them off from Guildhall Square.

Mrs Jarman said: ‘Our goal is to get Mrs Thatcher to donate, and she knows we are coming. She doesn’t normally donate to charity but an MP is trying to persuade her.’

Portsmouth London