TRUST APPEALS FOR HELP TO SHAPE NEW DIGITAL MEMORIAL

A MAJOR engagement and consultation programme has been launched today (Monday, 17^th October 2022) by the Police Arboretum Memorial Trust, creators of the UK Police Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. 

The consultation will help shape the future development of a complementary new Digital Memorial that will pay tribute to individual police officers and staff who have lost their lives while carrying out their lawful duties.  

In a month-long programme of activity, representatives from across the police service, policing charities, families of the fallen and the wider public, will be asked for their views and opinions about what should be on the Digital Memorial and how people wish to engage with it.

People can participate and contribute to the consultation process by completing an online survey.

Chair of Trustees, Martin Hewitt, said: “It has always been the Trust’s ambition to develop a Digital Memorial that was accessible to those who cannot visit the UK Police Memorial at the Arboretum. This online tribute will extend policing dedication and commemoration to a wider national and international audience.

“Working with our partner, the Police Roll of Honour Trust, the Digital Memorial will give visitors access to the records of almost 5,000 police officers who have dedicated their lives to policing, from as far back as the Bow Street Runners in 1749.

“However, we need the help of the service, the wider policing family and the general public to help us develop the next stage. We want to hear from you about what you would like to see on the Digital Memorial and how you and visitors may wish to use it.”

As part of the Digital Memorial an ‘on this day’ tribute will highlight the names of officers who died on a particular day and you will be able to search for an officer by name, force, date of death and rank.

Enhanced tributes will be developed that tell the personal stories of those behind the badge including interviews with family, friends and colleagues, access to news archives and personal photographs.

Mr Hewitt added: “We are at a crossroads as we embark on the next phase of this exciting project and our development of the Digital Memorial. Your views really do count as we create a fitting online tribute to our police service, and I would encourage everyone to complete the online survey.”

Phase One of the UK Police Memorial project was completed with the build and dedication of the new physical Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in July 2021.