Have your say about the future memorial

Since August 2020, we have been having conversations with bereaved families and former residents of Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk, as well as Lancaster West Estate residents and the local community, to gather ideas about what they want from a future memorial.

As first step, these ideas were brought together to create a visual 'word cloud' which is explained here. The word cloud helped us create an early vision statement which you can read by clicking the first arrow below.

Click on the arrows below to learn more about where we are with the ideas gathered up to this point, how you can share your thoughts and ideas with us, and to find out what happens next.

An early vision statement for a future memorial

We have been asking which words reflect what people want from a future memorial. We have used these to develop an early vision for a memorial:

The Grenfell memorial will be at its heart a peaceful place.

It will provide a space for reflection and remembrance of those that lost their lives, of why this tragedy happened and the need for justice.

The memorial will reflect the Grenfell community and the love within it; evoking a sense of hope and positivity that remembers the past and looks forward to the future.

It will be a place for bereaved, survivors and members of the local community to come together.

A respectful and lasting memorial that honours those that lost their
lives and their families, the survivors of the fire and members of
the local community.

You can see the early vision here or download the pdf attachment at the bottom of the Ideas gathering page.

How the early vision statement could be reflected in a memorial

We have started to share this early, emerging vision with bereaved families, former residents and local residents in our online meetings and at our in-person drop-ins, to understand how it could be reflected in a memorial. In these early conversations, we have heard a preference for:

A memorial garden (expressed by 66% of bereaved families and former residents, and 60% of members of the local community)
Artwork (expressed by 30% of bereaved families and former residents, and 31% of members of the local community)
A built memorial that provides a peaceful and reflective space (expressed by 19% of bereaved families and former residents, and 5% of members of the local community)
Including the names of those who lost their life – for example, in a plaque, display, photos and stories (43% of bereaved and survivors expressed this, and 23% of the local community)
A place to sit and reflect (49% of bereaved and survivors expressed this, and 31% of the local community)
The presence of water (29% of bereaved and survivors expressed this, and 12% of the local community)

Other ideas shared were:

Early views about whether to include parts of the Tower in the memorial
The memorial must support lasting change, and educate our communities and society as a whole
The memorial must be protected so that it is a reminder for generations to come

How long-term ownership of the memorial will be decided

The government took ownership of the Grenfell Tower site in 2019 and is responsible for keeping it safe and secure. The government has committed to transfer ownership of the future memorial, if that is the wish of the community, and an organisation will be set up to own and maintain it.

The Memorial Commission and the community will decide how the memorial site will be owned and sustainably managed for the long term. We are having conversations at our online community meetings and drop-ins to develop options on ownership including:

Sustainability (ensuring any arrangements are effective and long-lasting)
Funding (ensuring that the memorial is financially secure long term)
Form of the memorial (for example, will it be a garden or building or both?)
Community involvement (for example, does the community want legal responsibilities and operational responsibilities?)

How we have been learning from other memorials

To help us understand some of the key considerations in future ownership, we have spoken to the custodians of other memorials including Aberfan, the Holocaust Memorial, 7/7 and Manchester Glade of Light, as well as memorials overseas such as 9/11. Although there are many differences, there is a lot to learn about how they have built and maintained a memorial for their loved ones. We are extremely grateful for their support and their advice.

Members of the Memorial Commission meet Aberfan representatives — Members of the Memorial Commission meet Aberfan Memorial representatives, July 2021

Next steps: a report that captures what we have heard so far

We are working hard to capture everything we have heard in the report we will publish in May. We will share the report directly with bereaved families, former residents of Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk, and local residents, before it is published. After this, there will then be plenty of time for families and residents to share more views and for us to ask some more detailed questions, before we publish a further report setting out the communities' vision for a memorial.

See our timeline here.

How to get in touch to share your ideas

The Memorial Commission is keen to hear from you. If you are a bereaved family member, former resident of Grenfell Tower or Grenfell Walk, or a local resident and would like to share your views on a future memorial or discuss the ideas heard so far, you can get in touch with us in a way to suit you: