A PENPARCAU councillor has said he is “hopeful” of being able to provide Christmas lights for the popular Organ Donation Memorial Garden for the first time.

Opened in July 2014, the garden was the idea of Alan and Teresa Wilkin, of Penparcau, whose daughter, Claire, died in 2010 at the age of 34 after suffering an aneurysm in the brain.

Without the knowledge of her parents, Claire had signed the Organ Donor Register and in line with her wishes, her donated organs — including her heart, kidneys, pancreas and a lung — saved five lives.

Teresa told the Cambrian News this week that she wanted Christmas lights for the garden this year, ready for a Christmas carols event at the garden on 23 December.

She said: “I went to the council about it and they just confused me with jargon saying I would need to pay — I became a bit disheartened to be honest.

“Because it is a community garden, we shouldn’t have to pay for it. They have had new Christmas lights in town this year, so why can’t we have some of the old ones up here?”

After contacting local county councillor, Steve Davies, Teresa said she was told she had a good chance of getting lights for the garden in time for Christmas.