Community Initiative of The Year Award
The Forest of Memories was born in early 2020, soon after the pandemic hit. With a vision to remember those loved ones who were suddenly taken by Covid19. Our aim was simple – plant a life for a life, a tree for every soul lost during the Covid19 pandemic.
On the 24th February 2022 the Corporate LiveWire South organisation awarded The Forest of Memoires the Community Initiative Award 2022 in recognition of the hard work, innovation and dedication The Forest of Memories Team had shown.
What They Said
“The judges were genuinely moved by the poignant and inspiring work carried out by the team behind The Forest of Memories, which is sure to offer comfort to so many of the residents affected by the pandemic.
By creating a central place of remembrance, the community initiative has given many people a focal point for their grief, which they can return to again and again as they work through the bereavement process. By incorporating a digital layer and using cutting edge augmented reality software, the initiative will ensure the victims live on, not just in memory, but as a touching addition to an online community journal.”
Corporate LiveWire
Reaction From Our Chief Vision Officer
“We are honoured to have received this award in recognition of the impact The Forest of Memories has made. We have been helping bereaved families remember their lost loved ones, and to date we have helped thousands of people.
None of this would have been possible without the dedication and hard work put in by THE ENTIRE TEAM, but in particular, I’d like to highlight the effort and to thank James, Alex and Hamzah.
James Young – James has been with us from the beginning and is really the rock behind The Forest of Memories. James has dedicated the last 18 months to this cause and has worked tirelessly to make The Forest of Memories a reality. James is also our own in house designer and such has designed not just The Forests but all our artwork as well.
Hamzah Sher – Hamzah and his team joined us fairly early on, when we were just an idea. It was through Hamzah’s direction and know-how that we were able to put together the first version of our memorial platform Memory Trees. Hamzah and his team have given hundreds of hours for our cause.
Alex player – Alex joined us in our hour of need. As a fledgling organisation we reached out for help, on social media and SEO. As soon as Alex joined, he not only helped us in the areas we thought we needed help, but soon become our webmaster and helped us with a complete re-design. Alex has been hugely influential within our organisation and with all our technology advancements.
We are also eternally grateful for our amazing Goodwill Ambassadors: Iftikhar Chaudry for introducing us to the National Trust and Dr Lisa Cameron MP who tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament in support of our cause.”
Salmaan Nasser, Chief Vision Officer for The Forest of Memories
Recognition In The Media
Whilst this is the first award The Forest of Memories has won, we are fortunate to have been recognised by the BBC, Channel 5, ITV, as Community Champions in Westminster Hall and various media agencies.
Because of Covid-19… A personal Story by James Young