REMEMBERING THE LIVES LOST TO CORONAVIRUS
Sleuth ’ s Daisy Fitzgerald reports on The National Covid Memorial Wall in Westminster , a visual representation of each life lost to Coronavirus .
The National Covid Memorial Wall , is a hand-painted mural to commemorate the victims of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK .
Volunteers from campaign group ‘ Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice ’ organised the mural , with the first heart being painted in the final week of March 2020 .
The mural consists of over 150,000 individually designed red and pink hearts . The number represents the Covid-19 death toll in the UK with organisers encouraging people to continue adding to the mural so that enough hearts are painted to remember each life lost in the pandemic .
The wall can be visited by the public to pay their respects and is situated along the South Bank in London , a short walk from Westminster tube station .
It is the organisers ’ hope that people will take the time to walk the length of the memorial wall to remember those we have lost . The wall is a substantial 537 meters long , which serves as a poignant reminder of just how many friends and loved ones have been lost during the pandemic .
Liza and Paul Howells travelled from Preston to visit the wall , after Liza lost her close friend Abigail to coronavirus .
Liza painted a heart for Abigail and told us , “ Visiting the wall has brought me great comfort , I have spoken to many other bereaved friends and families here today and it is an important place for us to gather . I am glad that Abigail is represented here in her own way .”
The memorial wall has been visited by both Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Boris Johnson , where they paid their respects . However , there has been no confirmation yet over whether the wall will be preserved .
The Evening Standard reports that Sir Keir Starmer described the wall as a “ remarkable memorial ”. Starmer encouraged Johnson to “ meet the families ” of the coronavirus victims , he then said “ not just meet , listen ”.
ITV News have reported that the bereaved loved ones of those lost to Covid-19 are urging the government to preserve the dedicated mural .
Matt Fowler , cofounder of ‘ Covid-19 Bereaved Families for
“ Memorials begin when they ’ re completed . So , this isn ’ t an end , it ’ s a beginning .”
Matt Fowler cofounder of ‘ Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice ’
Justice ’ has said that “ Memorials begin when they ’ re completed . So , this isn ’ t an end , it ’ s a beginning ”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that an appropriate memorial for those who lost their lives in the pandemic will be organised in the future but has not commented on whether this will be the National Covid Memorial Wall .
The National Covid Memorial Wall is a beautiful tribute to each of the people lost in the UK during the pandemic , and each uniquely drawn heart carries the important message that these victims were not just numbers but individuals .
Image : The Covid-19 memorial wall plaque surrounded by hearts dedicated to each life lost . Location : Westminster , London .
Image credit : Ebony Ximines-Parke
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