Work on memorial for heroes to begin
MILLIONS of pounds have been raised to create a national memorial for the police officers killed in the line of duty.
Work on the 40ft monument will begin next year and it is due to open to the public in Spring 2021.
It will recognise the sacrifice of officers and staff who have died protecting the public, including PC Keith Palmer who was killed in the 2017 Westminster terror attack and PCS Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone, who were shot dead by gangster Dale Cregan in Manchester seven years ago.
The monument, designed by Walter Jack, will be surrounded by a large lawned area with space for more than 1,500 people.
Last week, officials gave the goahead for work to begin at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire after £4million of the £4.5million target was raised.
Sir Hugh Orde, chairman of the trustees, said: “Earlier this year, we were at risk of having to defer this project for a further 12 months due to insufficient funds.
“But thanks to the generosity of two large donors, we have now secured enough funding to start the work.”
The announcement comes just days after a specially-designed digital memorial was launched online.
It pays tribute to more than 4,200 police officers and staff who have died on duty since the 1700s.
Further fundraising will now take place in order to pay for the inscription of the names of fallen police officers on the walls of the physical memorial.
It will also fund an education programme for schools explaining the role of police in society.
● For further information, ukpolicememorial.org visit
WE NEED YOUR HELP
I would like to support the UK Police Digital Memorial and pay tribute to the thousands of fallen members of the Police service who have given their lives to protect our communities. To donate visit ukpolicememorial.org or post your cheque, made payable to ‘The Police Arboretum Memorial Trust’ to UK Police Memorial Campaign, Box 281, 51 Pinfold St, Birmingham B2 4AY. If you are a UK taxpayer and would like to Gift Aid your donation, please tick YES below.
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