National Memorial Arboretum celebrates 25 years as Nation’s year-round place to remember

Hundreds of young people from schools across the Midlands took to the stage on Friday (15th May), bringing the National Memorial Arboretum’s first 25 years to life and heralding the start of its anniversary celebration weekend. The collaborative celebratory performance, featuring music, poetry, dance, and theatre was the culmination of an eight-week in-school programme of creative workshops.

Max Smith, a Year 4 student from Dordon Primary School who participated in the performances, said: “We learnt about why we need to remember people and how this special place was created. I was proud to help tell those stories in our performance.”

Celebrations continue across the weekend, with two days of performances, shared moments of reflection and storytelling, and the launch of a new Heritage Hub. On Saturday, visitors will witness the sharing of stories reflecting acts of service in the Armed Forces commemorated at the 150-acre estate, meanwhile, performances on Sunday will focus on celebrating the diverse communities that have grown and prospered through collective Remembrance, participation and reflection. Throughout the weekend, visitors will be taken on an emotional musical journey, from moving spoken word and the soul-stirring harmonies of Black Voices to the vibrant South Asian artistry of Sampad, performances from Armed Forces community members through Talent in the Ranks, uplifting sets from community choirs and musical pomp provided by the Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Warwickshire. Admission to 25th Anniversary Weekend: Celebrating 25 Years of…Remembering Together is free and open to all (parking charges apply).

“During our first 25 years, what began as the seed of an idea has grown into a vibrant year-round Remembrance landscape, freely open to all,” said Philippa Rawlinson, Director of the National Memorial Arboretum and Director of Remembrance for the Royal British Legion. “Thanks to an ever-growing community and collective efforts, a series of muddy fields has been transformed to realise our founder’s ambitious vision for a dedicated centre of Remembrance. Today we are home to more than 420 memorials to the Armed Forces, Emergency Services and civilian organisations, helping us preserve inspirational stories of service and sacrifice, supporting our work to pass the baton of Remembrance to future generations.”

The Heritage Hub, supported by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is part of an 18-month archival project to preserve the memories and experiences that have shaped the site since its inception. It will document the site’s first 25 years of history since it was founded by Commander David Childs CBE. The naval veteran established the dedicated Remembrance space on former quarry workings, and the estate is now an inspirational living tribute to those who serve our nation.

The Arboretum became part of the Royal British Legion in 2003 and sits at the heart of RBL’s Remembrance work following the full integration of the charities earlier this year. Already welcoming more than 300,000 visitors each year, including 25,000 young people on learning visits, this next chapter is unlocking opportunities for even greater investment in an enhanced visitor experience and the creation of new opportunities for people of all backgrounds to engage with Remembrance.

For further details about 25 Years of…, visit: https://thenma.org.uk/25years activities launching this weekend include:

• 25 Years of… Celebrating Women is a new free exhibition featuring the stories of 25 remarkable women who have played an important role in the Arboretum’s history and development. From visitors and volunteers to members of the royal family and memorial sculptors, each story explores how they have contributed to the growth of the Nation’s year-round place to remember.
  Sue Elliott, joint-longest serving volunteer and one of the subjects featured in 25 Years of… Celebrating Women, reflects on more than 25 years of service: “I feel like it’s mine really, I just know every nook and cranny of the place. It’s all part of life’s rich pattern, really, remembering. Right at the start, David Childs got me involved doing lots of events and people were always arriving wanting to see the site, but there wasn’t a lot to see in those days. Now it’s just amazing to look around and think, gosh, none of this was here.”
• Threads of Remembrance is a free art installation that brings together more than 100 individual mosaic works into a singular collective work inspired by the neural patterns created when we remember. Created in partnership with BAMM (British Association for Modern Mosaic), this rich tapestry of stories features contributions from artists around the world and local community members, with each work adding meaning to the whole.
• A collection of new daily talks, trails and buggy tours explore the Arboretum’s journey across more than 25 years, taking visitors to memorials and landmarks central to its story.
• Visitors are also being invited to support the estate’s continued growth and development through its ‘£25 for 25’ anniversary appeal. Every donation large or small, will help ensure the site continues to preserve inspirational stories for future