JAMES BULGER’S mother said yesterday she will commit indefinitely to an anti-bullying project being set up in her murdered son’s name.

Speaking at the launch of a £1m appeal to open a Red Balloon learning centre in Liverpool – to be known as James Bulger House – Denise Fergus said it would be the first of many.

Denise wants to open a second centre for younger children once the first is established.

And if the 15-place centre fills up, she will redouble her efforts and open more, she added.

Two days before what would have been James’s 18th birthday, Mrs Fergus signed up to be a trustee of the charity that will run the centre.

Denise, 38, told the Daily Post: “I’ll commit as much time and effort to this as I can. I would like to set up another one in James’s name – there are a lot of young kids who get bullied.

“I’m going to stick with two now – but if we need to build more, I’ll build them.”

It is hoped the house will be open in late 2009. £500,000 of the money raised will be spent on buying a suitable residential house that can be converted into an informal school setting.

The remaining £500,000 will be used to kit the house out and to run the centre for the first year.

Red Balloon, which also has houses in Cambridge and Norwich, gives one-on-one coaching and teaching to children who feel they cannot return to school following severe bullying.

They get support to rebuild their confidence and to continue studying.

James Bulger House will be the first of its kind in the north of England and the first tangible memorial to the toddler in the city.

Denise said the work with the Red Balloon charity has given her a new lease of life.

She added it had never occurred to her to build a permanent tribute to her son but was sold on the anti-bullying idea after it was suggested by children’s campaigner Esther Rantzen.

Mrs Rantzen, patron of Red Balloon, commended Denise for the “courage and dignity” she demonstrated after her son’s death.

James was murdered by 10-year-olds Robert Thompson and Jon Venables in 1993 after they abducted the toddler from the Bootle Strand shopping centre.

The two year old’s body was found on a nearby railway line two days later.

Denise continued: “I’ve never done anything like this before, but I have a new lease of life, I do feel strong enough to do this.

“I want to help other kids in James’s name – his name is going to be around forever, so why not put a building there too.”

Merseyside Chief Constable Bernard Hogan Howe is also expected to be a trustee of James Bulger House.

He said: “There are bullied children everywhere, but particularly in this city there’s an opportunity to do something positive.”

Mrs Rantzen said: “I regret nobody has yet created a memorial to that child.

“I know that if one can rescue something from the tragedy of a child’s death, then it gives something to cling on to.”

DONATIONS may be sent to: Red Balloon, James Bulger House Appeal, PO Box 1305 Liverpool, L69 3LB or visit www.redballoonlearner.co.uk

benschofield