£1 million Government boost to Police Memorial campaign

THE Government has announced £1 million in support to help build a new memorial to honour the United Kingdom’s  fallen police officers.

The new memorial will cost somewhere in the region of £5 million and it is planned to be built at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

More than 4,000 UK police officers have died on duty since records began.

On January 20 Chancellor George Osborne announced £1 million in Government support for the memorial project.

Sir Hugh Orde, outgoing President of the Association of Chief Police Officers and Chairman of the newly established Police Arboretum Memorial Trust, said: “We are indebted to the Chancellor for this generous donation. We aim to raise £5m to build and maintain this proper and fitting memorial to our fallen colleagues. This is particularly timely as police officers go about their duties protecting the public in challenging times.”

Jan Berry, Chairman of COPS, said: “Survivors will be very involved in the process in what the memorial is, how it happens and who the memorial is commemorating.”

Mr Osborne, speaking at an event at Number 11 Downing Street, attended by business leaders, Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, said: “The police across the UK make huge sacrifices to protect us and some, tragically, pay the ultimate price.

“We must honour them, and this national arboretum Memorial is a powerful idea. With today’s announcement we are using money raised from fines on those who have demonstrated the very worst of values in our financial services to support tributes to those who have demonstrated the very best value in our society.”

Rob Wilson MP, Minister for Civil Society, has been a prominent supporter of the memorial. He said: “This new memorial will help foster in the fabric of our national life an understanding of the importance of Policing.  We must honour the men and women who protect our communities just as we do those who lay down their lives in military service.”

Sara Thornton, Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police and Chair-designate of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, is also a Trustee of the Police Arboretum Memorial Trust.

In thanking the Chancellor, she said: “This will be a memorial for the modern age.  We will have a dramatic online and digital presence, with archive and educational materials to bring the story of UK Policing to life.”

Picture from ACPO.