In 2022, some of the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission community representatives visited the Glade of Light memorial to those who lost their lives in the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017.
The visit was part of the work that the Memorial Commission has been doing to learn how memorials across Britain, and internationally, have considered elements such as design, working with communities, education, ownership, and long-term maintenance.
During the visit, the community representatives also visited the Manchester Together Archive which is home to some of the many spontaneous memorials laid in the city in response to the attack. The items, which included notes, letters, drawings, toys and t-shirts were collected and stored at Manchester Art Gallery. Together with other partners, including Archives+ and the University of Manchester, the team worked to document and digitise the memorial objects for people to engage with in the future. The archive also includes oral histories and testimonies, social media content and notes left on the Trees of Hope trail which marked the first anniversary of the attack.
The Commission is also keen to develop a public digital archive and physical repository of the spontaneous memorials and commemorative tributes. We are looking to create places where bereaved families, survivors, residents, and all those affected by the tragedy, can witness the love and support shown by the community and ensure that Grenfell is always remembered.
You can find out more about the visit to Manchester by reading the blog post written by the community representative, Susan Al Safadi.