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The Memorial Garden will formally open in Plaistow Park on Monday, April 3 at 11:30am

Three years since the first lockdown was declared in March 2020, Newham City Council is unveiling a memorial garden at Plaistow Park to honor Newham residents who have lost their lives during the pandemic and in recognition of frontline services and the volunteers who have been supporting Newham’s. most vulnerable residents everywhere.

Newham is one of the London boroughs hardest hit by covid-19 and tragically 1,013 residents have lost their lives to covid-19. We continue to offer support to their families.

Throughout the pandemic, more than 500 Covid-19 champions volunteered to support the Newham community by distributing tips and information countywide, 655 volunteers participated in the #HelpNewham friendship initiative, and 100 they volunteered to become Vaccine Peer Supporters. A large number of food distribution schemes were set up across the borough with countless volunteers offering support to the most isolated members of the Newham community.

Designing the memorial garden

Jon Sheaff & Associates and Newham artist Matt Ponting (Doodling Around) have carefully designed Newham’s Memorial Garden. Design workshops were held with residents of the Plaistow Community Neighborhood, who provided valuable insight into design concepts and identified design features and elements they felt were important in creating a thoughtful and meaningful garden that all members of the community could access and connect. with.

The garden is a sensory space where visitors can explore sight, sound and touch; The space features different planting areas integrated with handcrafted artwork including three hand-carved wooden totem poles designed specifically for the space. Each totem has a ‘tactile trace’ etched into its surface, inspired by conversations with residents who reflected on the impact of social isolation and lack of physical contact with family and friends during periods of lockdown.

Each of the totem poles represents a different theme identified through the community workshops: Support, Community and Regrowth.

A joint statement from Councilor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Adult Health and Social Care, and Councilor James Asser, Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainable Transport said:

“We hope the new Memorial Garden at Plaistow Park will be a place where those who have lost loved ones during the pandemic find solace. We offer our deepest condolences to all of our residents still living with the loss of loved ones and acknowledge the pain of not being able to share final moments together”.

“We also hope that the garden will be a reminder of the unity and camaraderie that Newham residents have shown throughout this time and continue to show today.”

“We offer our immense gratitude to the frontline workers who demonstrated an incredible show of strength and resilience and the extraordinary kindness and bravery of local people from all walks of life, who came together to support each other at a time of need.

“This memorial is a lasting tribute where all generations are invited to visit, sit, reflect and remember.”