A community campaign to give an RAF veteran from Pontlottyn the ‘funeral he deserves’ has raised more than £3,400 for his send off.
Gerald Sullivan passed away on October 27, aged 80, with no family or means of a private funeral.
But, next of kin Matthew Wheaton set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for a funeral for Mr Sullivan and, thanks to generous well-wishers, the funeral will take place on Friday, November 20.
The funeral will take place outside Mr Sullivan’s flat on Dan y Graig in Ponlottyn at 11.15am, before a burial at Rhymney Cemetery.
This will be followed by a wake at the Empire Club in Pontlottyn.
Scores of people responded to the appeal, with actor Michael Sheen donating £500.
The campaign also received a £500 donation from the Dave Green Memorial Fund.
The fund was set up to save Mr Green, who successfully campaigned against the Nant Llesg Opencast mine, from a paupers funeral and has been continued to help those in need.
This is the sort of community spirit that can’t be engineered.