A new memorial to civilians impacted by war and conflict around the world has been installed.
Designed by local sculptor Peter Walker, the 6ft bronze Pity of War piece is now at the National Memorial Arboretum.
A dedication ceremony will be held on 24th June.
The design of the memorial – a child with eyes bound and mouth silenced – was chosen for the removal and abstraction of features to portray the pity of way.
Kit Byatt, chair of trustees for the Pity of War charitable trust, said:
“It is essential that the underlying message of Pity of War reaches far beyond the memorial itself, so over the past few years we have been working on outreach and partnership abroad.
“Two bronze maquettes – smaller scale models of the memorial – are now in the collections of the British Embassy in the UAE and British Embassy in Paris where they are permanently displayed and seen by world leaders and signatories for years to come, a powerful symbol and testament to those to whom this project is dedicated.
Kit Byatt
The Pity of War charitable trust was set up in 2019 to raise awareness of the impact of war on civilians.
Inspiration for the memorial arose from the untold stories of civilians, with the international project seeing maquettes for the memorial installed in the Basilica of St Mary in Minneapolis, Limburg an der Lahn in Germany, the University Church in Oxford, Chester, Sheffield, Liverpool and Winchester Cathedrals, and St Martin in the Fields in London.
Trustee Jeff Beatty said:
“The reach and presentation of the Pity of War in the UK and internationally pays testament to a new way of working in which a memorial is more than a fixed point.
“People in different countries and locations around the UK will be able to connect with the charity’s message and for a moment reflect on the sufferings of millions of civilians in conflicts today and through the past 100 years.”