Olivia’s mum hopes to steer children away from crime
Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s mum Cheryl has vowed to fight the gun and gang culture that led to her daughter Olivia’s murder. She told The Mirror that she wants to steer children away from crime and to help curb gang and gun violence.
Cheryl is fully behind our community project to create a memorial garden in Dovecot as a lasting tribute to Olivia and she hopes that police, charities and the community will unite in a drive to steer youngsters away from crime, with the memorial to Olivia as the focal point.
Ian Byrne MP and Cheryl Korbel review plans for the Olivia Pratt-Korbel Memorial Garden in Dovecot
Photo: The Mirror
Cheryl hopes that community hubs like Dovecot Labour Club and the planned memorial garden can help keep kids on the straight and narrow. The Labour Club is facing closure, but the community is hoping to raise £300,000 to buy it and pay for renovations.
We want to build the memorial garden first because we can get a spade in the ground within weeks. The community hub is the second stage. The memorial garden will be a safe place where families and children can go to play. And this club is like an oasis within the estate, there are not many other facilities here. You come in here and you feel at home. This club was built by World War II veterans. It was built by love. It’s important that it’s kept. It’s precious.
The garden will incorporate mini traffic lanes, a roundabout and toy cars for kids as part of a wider road safety scheme – after the death of Lexi McDavid, 12, in Huyton last June.
Design plans for the Olivia Pratt-Korbel Memorial Garden in Dovecot
Photo: The Mirror
Cheryl says of the combined facilities: “Hopefully somewhere like this Labour Club will be able to stop kids going down the wrong path. The garden, which will have a plaque in memory of Olivia, will also give the kids in this area somewhere to play, which they desperately need. I would just like to ask people to donate. This garden will be in memory of Liv and somewhere for the kids to get together and be safe.”
You can donate to the memorial garden fund at: gofundme.com/f/olivia-pratt-korbel-memorial-garden
You can read The Mirror article in full at: www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/olivia-pratt-korbels-mum-makes-29664301