Coddington Church of England primary school opened a new library funded by The Little Liam Legacy and Friends of Coddington School in honour of Liam Thomas Andrew

A primary school's new library opened in memory of a former pupil who died of a rare incurable and inoperable brain tumour.

Liam Thomas Andrew, a former pupil at Coddington Church of England primary school, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour — Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in 2018.

The friends of Coddington School together with the Little Liam Legacy charity have funded the school’s library to honour the little one’s passion for reading and learning.

Following Liam’s diagnosis, his parents Stuart Andrew and Amanda Ferguson, set up a JustGiving Page to help make him better and afford treatments in the hope of extending the five-year-old’s life and raised over £100,000 in the space of three months.

After Liam died on November 6, 2018, his parents used the money raised to set up – Little Liam’s Legacy – a charity to honour him and give back to the community that supported him by supporting children in community-focused projects and fund research and awareness of DIPG.

The parents gave £3,000 to the school to fund the new library, which added to the £3,600 raised by the Friends of Coddington School through several events throughout the year.

The new library, which used to be a dining room with only tables and chairs, has minion items spread across the room as Liam used to love minions and the colour yellow.

“I think we're just so proud really that we could be a part of it and especially that it was called the Liam Andrew Library because that's really what we wanted, the legacy of Liam at the school because this is the only school really that he knew.

“He loved learning, he loved reading, which was like the main, obviously the library was the main thing we wanted to do.

“He would have loved to sit in there and read in the little nooks.

“After Liam had passed, we really wanted to do something to give back to the community because without them we wouldn't have had money aside, we wouldn't have had the hope that we had, which was the main thing.

“The community gave us hope at our darkest time.”

The Friends of Coddington School raised funds through different activities from the World Book Day book sale and chocolate cafe, Pyjamas Day, Disco to Mother’s Day events.

Natalie Henstock, chairman of Friends of Coddington School said: “The library is a real push forward to be able to do other big things for the school to make it better.

“It was lovely to show the children the care they have changed the motto to care, community and courage.

“It has been lovely to show this community that yes the library has come from Liam's legacy and Friends of Coddington, but without the community, we wouldn't have been able to raise that significant amount of money.

Liam was in the school’s gold book for his love for reading and encompassing the school’s values – care, community and courage.

Headteacher Rebecca Major said: “It has brought reading into the heart of the school, which I think is so important for the whole community because reading has the biggest impact on a child's outcomes and their future earnings and the impact, the knock-on effect that that's going to have in this generation is going to be huge.”

Natalie Henstock added: “The Liam Andrew Library in memory of this bright, courageous and caring young boy who was a much-loved pupil at our school.

“I really hope that moving forward as a school community we can all work together in continuing to raise funds to enrich the lives of those attending Coddington Primary and Nursery School and give the children fun and memorable moments that will last them a lifetime.”