The stars come out to support our campaign
MORE big names – including Lord Sugar, Monty Panesar and Ruthie Henshall – have today given their backing to our Memorial for NHS Heroes Crusade.
Work has started on a stunning 20ft bronze sculpture to immortalise every healthcare worker who has died in the fight against Covid.
The £250,000 piece of art, which is as yet untitled, will proudly bear all their names and carry the inscription: “You laid your love for those in life. Your sleep is not in vain.”
The project has support at the very highest level, from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid and new NHS England boss Amanda Pritchard, among others.
Now a diverse group of businesspeople, politicians, sporting heroes and celebrities have given their seal of approval to our project, including Good Morning Britain host Charlotte Hawkins and actress Miriam Margolyes.
Britain has the seventh highest Covid death toll in the world.
Figures show at least 1,561 health and social care staff have died in the battle with Covid.
Gratitude
Symbolising eternal life, the sculpture will feature two intertwined trees with hundreds of leaves, each individually hand-sculpted.
The 400kg memorial, which is being made by sculptress Nicola Ravenscroft, will be unveiled in a central London location yet to be decided in 2022.
Similar sculptures will also be unveiled in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
As well as being a memorial, the sculpture will be a permanent reminder of the hard work done by doctors, nurses, midwives, carers and others who proudly serve our cherished healthcare system, without fanfare or praise.
Lord Ashcroft, 75, a philanthropist who led the successful campaign for the NHS to be awarded a collective George Cross, said: “I am delighted that selfless NHS staff who gave their lives are being provided with such a splendid memorial.
“The outstanding bravery and devotion to duty of our emergency service workers is being recognised in an appropriate and enduring way.”
Businessman Lord Sugar, 74, said: “This memorial will serve as a permanent and powerful reminder to a grateful nation of the gruelling work the NHS carry out every day.”
West End star Ruthie Henshall, 54, said: “NHS workers have always been heroes, it’s just that the Covid pandemic put it into sharp focus how selfless and dedicated they are.
“They went above and beyond what was asked of them. My deepest respect and gratitude to the people on the front line.
“No pot could be banged loud enough to show my thanks. They would hear it in space.”
Former England cricketer Monty Panesar, 39, said: “The NHS is the jewel in Britain’s crown.
“This beautiful memorial honouring the valiant men and women of the NHS taken from us by Covid will hopefully be a constant reminder lest we forget their sacrifice while also offering solace to the families that lost loved ones.”
Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins, 46, said: “What a special way to honour all our NHS Heroes. Day in day out, they put their lives on the line fighting this horrific pandemic.The memorial will stand through time to remember them and honour the sacrifices they made.”
Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, 80, said: “I’m lost in admiration at the courage and commitment of the NHS heroes. They are the very best of our people. I salute them.”
Dalton Grant, 55, the Commonwealth and European high jump gold medallist and former Team GB athletic captain, said: “I would like to thank the NHS for all the services provided since it was formed in 1948. Long live the NHS.”
He added: “I’d also like to thank everyone who came up with this memorial initiative to honour them.”
Kanya King, founder the Mobo music awards, said: “To honour frontline heroes who succumbed to Covid is a beautiful idea and hopefully it will be a permanent reminder of the value of our NHS.”
Dedication
Lord John Bird, 75, founder of The Big Issue, said: “A monument to remind us of the lives lost and the dedication of the NHS is a worthy gesture. Well done to every nurse, doctor, porter and cleaner who made huge sacrifices.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Mr Javid, 51, said: “I know the memorial will mean so much to the families and friends of those who we’ve lost. I’d like to thank the Daily Express and everyone who’s supported this campaign. Thanks to your efforts, the exceptional contribution of the NHS will be immortalised forever, after one of the toughest times this nation has ever faced.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, 50, said: “We must never forget the heroic efforts of NHS staff and care workers. This sculpture is a fitting tribute to them all.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 57, said: “I want to thank the Daily Express for championing our fantastic health service which has done so much for all of us during these challenging times.”
WITHIN two weeks of using Sativex, one of our MS patients – who had tried four different treatments for his spasticity – said the difference in his muscle spasms was considerable.
We know it won’t work for everyone, but you can only know by trying.
There’s a real concern people are sourcing cannabis themselves if they can’t access Sativex.
Even people who would never normally dream of buying cannabis illegally read stories of its “miraculous effects” and want to try it.
But it’s impossible to know what is in a packet sold as cannabis on the street. It’s sold to get you high, meaning people are often buying the wrong kind of cannabis.
As such, they might be trying something that won’t work or could give them a bad experience, and might actually put them off trying a licensed cannabis-based product that could work.
It would have been much easier if NHS England had funded Sativex with a single countrywide process rather than having to sort this out through individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).
Sativex is a symptomatic therapy which is legal, clean and low risk. CCGs have an obligation to fund it.