Trunk call!

ALL set . . . with (from the left) Will Evans, Phil and Cath Barker and Lesley Garvey

JOINER Phil Barker signed away six months of spare time when he embarked on a mammoth task to create a huge animated pink elephant.

He collected a mound of items to build his creation — nicknamed Melony — from drainage pipes to a traffic cones and papier mache.

She can walk a few steps, nod and shake her head, blink her eyes, pick things up with her trunk and — her party trick — lift her trunk to spurt water over unsuspecting bystanders.

Melony will take pride of place in Phil’s team of “Beerstalkers” who are taking part in the Saddleworth Beer Walk on June 6.

He hopes her cheeky charm will encourage well-wishers to dig deep in their pockets and hand over handfuls of cash to help his cause.

“We’ll have people seeing pink elephants before they even touch the beer,” he said.

And with only two weeks to go, Phil, from Greenfield, is burning the midnight oil. He added: “I’m still up to my eyeballs in sawdust.

“I have been so bogged down with making Melony I haven’t had time to think about getting sponsorship.”

Phil, fellow joiner Will Evans, who has leant a hand in building the creation, and their team are doing the beer walk to raise money for Oldham’s Victoria Breast Care Unit’s charity, Link4Pink.

Phil’s wife, Cath (43) is fighting breast cancer.

He said: “I have always watched the beer walk and thought I would take part, but this was the kick up the backside I needed to do it.

“Cath has been treated at the Victoria Unit and they have saved her life. What we feel goes beyond gratitude.

“It has been very tricky and a case of one step forward and two steps back but, touchwood, we will be ready in time.”

A friend of the couple’s, Lesley Garvey, is doing some last-minute work collecting sponsors on behalf of Phil.

And after the beer walk, he intends to hand Melony over to the Link4Pink charity to use as a mascot and make appearances at future fund-raising events.

Phil said: “Anyone who wants to tag on and walk with us on the beer walk collecting money for Link4Pink is more than welcome. The more the merrier.”