Today, a campaign to plant a Covid19 Memorial Forest has been launched by Our Heroes CIC. We have been working on this idea for a couple of months now and it feels great that we can now finally share our excitement with the wider world with the launch of our campaign website http://www.Covid19MemorialForest.Fund
So, who are ‘Our Heroes’?
Our Heroes CIC is a not-for-profit social enterprise run by an ordinary group of people who have come together to fulfil the ambition to remember and celebrate the heroes of our historic time. Those whom we have lost and those who have helped us in our time of collective need.
Why do we want to plant a COVID-19 Memorial Forest?
Because of Covid19, there are people who did not get a chance to say goodbye to loved ones, families who could not mourn together, and people who did not visit sick relatives to support them in times of need.
But we have also seen ordinary people doing remarkable things, often putting their own lives at risk to help others. None of these people asked to be heroes, or did things for personal glory, but without hesitating they helped us all in our shared time of need.
It is our sincere desire to bring our nation together to create a place people can go to remember these heroes. A place where people can remember, reflect and celebrate their lives. Our vision for the forest is that it will also be a symbol of recovery as well as a national monument of remembrance and celebration.
It is our hope that a national COVID-19 Memorial Forest will help our nation leave a lasting memorial to remember the loved ones we lost, celebrate the heroes that helped us, and leave a legacy that also benefits future generations. Both as a space to enjoy by generations to come, and to help combat climate change, the other great challenge of our time.
What are the Covid19 Memorial Forest plans?
Our ambition is to plant a forest of at least 50,000 trees in the UK to celebrate the deeds, big or small, done by ordinary members of our community, and to remember those we lost. They are more than just a number.
“I started this initiative to make any little difference that I could. I wanted to empower people to remember and empathise with the people lost to Covid19. Statistics had always distanced me from the reality of the situation. And I wanted to know who they were? What were their dreams and ambitions? Who are the ones they have left behind?
I was particularly saddened by the fact many loved ones have not had the ‘send-off’ they deserve, and we hope this forest will create a fitting tribute”.
Salmaan Nasser, Chief Vision Officer, Our Heroes CIC
A forest will create a commemorative, curated, historical record and we aim to plant at least 50,000 trees and erect a memorial in remembrance and celebration of the historic times we are living through and the people we have lost.
The forest will be a beautiful space that will create a permanent and enduring memorial to last for generation after generation but will also benefit those future generations. 50,000 trees would create more than 100 acres of green and open space, 124 million miles of carbon offset and a new, natural habitat for wildlife to thrive. We want to use this tragedy to build a better future.
The legacy we want to leave behind is one of growth, sustainability and inspiring a new generation from the stories of the heroes of our time.
How can you get involved to make the Forest a reality?
We are calling on all those who believe in this vision to come and support us and help us with our journey. Please follow us on social media, share our vision with the world, and where possible please donate to the cause, so we might make this a reality.
Detailed plans for a forest are currently being drawn up and we will be consulting with our supporters about these plans. But we can only make the Forest happen if enough people support the cause. So sign-up to support us today and play your part in helping to make the dream of a COVID-19 Memorial Forest a reality.
