A memorial to remember the bravery of front-line NHS and care workers in the fight against Covid has received the Health and Social Care Secretary's backing, and sculptors will now begin the carving process.
The 13ft bronze sculpture will honour all NHS and social care heroes who died in the battle against Covid. It will have every one of their names etched into the stone plinth which the sculpture will stand on.
Dean Russell, the former MP for Watford is co-chair of the memorial’s organising committee. Dean said:
“This memorial will be a powerful reminder to all of us of the bravery and sacrifice all of our NHS staff and social care workers have made during this global pandemic. I’m proud to be part of this important project".
Nic Careem proposed the project and is its director. He has previously worked on memorials for Nelson Mandela and Anne Frank. Nic said:
“0n 3 occasions the NHS saved my life so I wanted to do something to remember the Health and social care front-liners who were not as fortunate. When I saw the news everyday of our brave workers selflessly working on the frontIine I decided to set-up a committee for the memorial and asked renowned sculptor Nicola Ravenscroft to design a fitting memorial for decades to come.”
Nicola Ravenscroft is a prominent British Sculptor and renowned artist. She is designing the bronze sculpture which will take around 6 months to be carved and cast by a foundry based in Andover in the UK. Nicola said:
“I am deeply honoured to be commissioned by the visionary Nic Careem, with parliamentarian Dean Russell MP as chair of The NHS & Social Care Memorial Committee to create a new bronze sculpture, in gratitude to our precious NHS, and in enduring memory of those who, on the COVID front line, “gave their love for those in life: their sleep is not in vain”.
The memorial is expected to be ready to unveil in 2021, to mark one year since the pandemic hit the UK. Family members of those who sadly passed whilst working on the front line in the NHS & social care will be invited to the unveiling.
