‘I remember sitting with Paulos in the garden of hope, and we were sitting on Isaac’s bench… and Paulos had a dream that there would be a building in Isaac’s name. When people talk about the Isaac Paulos Centre, they ask us, who was Isaac Paulos? And it’s a real opportunity to remember.’
Isaac Paulos lived on the 18th floor of Grenfell Tower. Aged five years old, he was one of the youngest of the 72 victims of the tragedy in June 2017.
Completed in March 2022, the Isaac Paulos Centre for Education and Wellbeing stands in the grounds of Isaac’s former primary school, St Francis of Assisi, in the heart of Notting Dale, and just metres from the foot of Grenfell Tower. The young boy’s name is written in large silver letters on walls painted a bold, vibrant orange. (The Isaac Paulos Centre for Education and Wellbeing)
The creation of the centre was conceived from an initial conversation between Paulos, Isaac’s father, and Kathleen Williams, the executive headteacher of the school. The centre offers therapy spaces, activity spaces, modern classrooms, intervention rooms, a kitchen for children’s cookery classes, parent workshops, and a reflective, kitchen garden area.
The centre itself is a living, standing memorial, in which the lives of children in the community are enriched and supported.
The film features several of the Memorial Commission’s community representatives: Paulos Tekle, Sandra Ruiz, Abbas Dadou and Samia Badani. Between them, they represent the bereaved families, the survivors, and the local residents who live close to Grenfell Tower. They describe the importance of creating spaces that honour the memory of the 72 that lost their lives, and which enable people to learn about and remember the tragedy, so that it can never be forgotten.
The representatives also explain how necessary it is to have spaces that help local children connect with the story of the Grenfell tragedy, which is such a prominent part of their lives and that of their community, even if they did not physically live through it themselves. The featured community representatives describe the particular significance of this upcoming anniversary of the tragedy, due to this being the last year – according to the recent government announcement – that Grenfell Tower will be standing in its current form.
Also featured in the film are, and thanks to:
- Kathleen Williams, Executive Headteacher, St Francis of Assisi Primary School
- The pupils of St Francis of Assisi Primary School
- Penny Capper, Care to Grow
Within the Memorial Commission’s November 2023 recommendations for a future memorial, the Commission speaks of the need to reflect the children that were lost in the Grenfell tragedy, and the surviving children and young people who have endured so much. The Commission also asserted the importance of reflecting the rich mix of faiths and cultural backgrounds that makes up the Grenfell community, and to which the victims and survivors belong.
In January, the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced the five shortlisted teams who are now going through extensive further evaluation, with the final team due to be selected later this year.
Appointing the right team, who will work professionally, sensitively and thoughtfully, with the Grenfell community, is of immense importance. The path to a fitting and beautiful memorial will not proceed without the community’s voice shaping every step along the way.
You can also watch the Memorial Commission's previous anniversary films from 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Press and media
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