Living Covid memorial to be created at National Memorial Arboretum
Plans have been put in place for the start of a permanent living memorial to all those who died during the coronavirus pandemic.
A 25-acre remembrance space will be created at the National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas in Staffordshire.
Plans for the site, being created in partnership with the National Forest, are now being developed to transform the existing scrubland and silt pond into an inspirational living landscape, representative of the changing seasons.
It will be a place where people can gather to reflect and contemplate the impact of the pandemic and remember loved ones who have died as a result.
Groundworks for the new memorial woodland are planned to begin in early 2022, ahead of a habitat creation and tree planting effort supported by the National Forest Company.
It is hoped that public access to the woodland will begin in 2023.
A grove of trees representing the diversity of religion across the Commonwealth will form part of the new woodland.
Ongoing community engagement will also be a key part of the plan to ensure that the memorial woodland evolves and responds to the needs of the nation.
Plans include a community activity programme where people will be invited to help influence aspects of the design, including the style and symbolism of artistic sculptures that will be commissioned to complement the woodland landscape and lake.
Philippa Rawlinson, managing director of the National Memorial Arboretum, said the plans were a key part of the arboretum's vision to grow as a year-round centre of remembrance.
She said: "We have been inundated with requests to create a new Remembrance space where people can reconnect and reflect on the collective sacrifices we have made as a country.
"This space will be a living monument to reflect on what have been some of the darkest days since the end of the Second World War.
"We strongly believe that the design of such a memorial should be inspirational, capturing the incredible community spirit that has carried us through challenging times.
"A simple bronze sculpture will never do justice to a rainbow."
John Everitt, chief executive of the National Forest Company, said Covid-19 had made us all take stock and be inspired to create something better.
He said: "The National Forest embodies this spirit of regeneration and, through these plans for a new memorial woodland, demonstrates how we are literally growing the future together, breathing new life and hope into the nation’s recovery."
Chris Ansell, head of participation and learning at the National Memorial Arboretum, said it would be a living monument, which would evolve and adapt over the years.
He said: "We know how important nature is to our mental health and wellbeing, and this new woodland will serve as a place of hope, where people can gather and make new memories.
"Our ongoing community activities will make certain it remains a diverse and inclusive space which is open to all and continues to be relevant for generations to come."
