Stretching 500 metres along the South Bank opposite the Houses of Parliament, the wall features 250,000 hand-painted red hearts, each representing a person who died of Covid-19. Created by the bereaved for the bereaved, the memorial has become a place of reflection and remembrance for families and communities across the country.
The council has worked with the Friends of the Wall volunteers since they were formed to support the memorial, and helped pushed for its formal recognition throughout, talking with partners in the NHS, TfL and Government to help make that happen.
Cllr Clair Holland, the Leader of Lambeth Council, said: “I really welcome today’s announcement from the government.
“The memorial wall expresses our sadness and grief at those we lost to the pandemic so poignantly. We have also formed great bonds of friendship and unity as a council through the memorial wall, engaging with the Friends of the Wall and supporting their lobbying of government for this recognition.
“I have been to the wall to hear people’s heartbreaking stories, spoken to the friend’s group who have been through so much to hear how much it means to them, and also represented their views with partners. Today feels like a really important moment for those families, and for our borough.”
As well as supporting talks to have the wall preserved, Cllr Holland has joined pupils volunteering to help repaint the faded hearts and tributes and in March this year spoke at a remembrance event at the wall to honour those we lost during the Covid-19 pandemicm including the 712 members of Lambeth community who died. The council lobbied the previous government to make the wall a permanent memorial to those lost during the pandemic.
The government has confirmed funding for detailed feasibility studies by heritage experts as part of the COVID-19 commemoration programme. Lambeth Council will continue to work with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust; Transport for London and King’s College London to ensure this powerful and moving memorial is preserved.
To find out more visit www.nationalcovidmemorialwall.org.
