Philippa Rawlinson said the national site has taken a new name as it begins its autumn Remembrance programme in Staffordshire. The former National Memorial Arboretum is now the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens after full integration with the Royal British Legion.
The 150-acre estate will welcome tens of thousands of people throughout the autumn. Rawlinson, the Royal British Legion’s director of Remembrance, said: “For 25 years, this place has led the nation in Remembrance, providing a dedicated space throughout the year where people can come together to remember incredible acts of service and sacrifice made by members of the Armed Forces, Emergency Services and civilian organisations.”
Philippa Rawlinson and the Gardens
She added: “That purpose remains unchanged as we begin the next chapter of our story as the National Remembrance Gardens.” Her third statement set out the practical side of the change: “Our team will continue to host events, exhibitions and activities that highlight the inspirational stories that lie behind our collection of hundreds of sculptures, ensuring that they live on in perpetuity.”
The name change is part of a full integration with the Royal British Legion, but the programming at the site stays in place. For visitors, that means the rebrand changes the sign above the estate, not the autumn calendar that follows.
Ride to the Wall this weekend
The first large-scale event this autumn takes place this weekend with Ride to the Wall. Thousands of members and supporters of the Armed Forces community will make a pilgrimage by motorcycle, and the event has raised more than £2 million to date. A separate feature on Nationals Vs Marlins shows how another event preview is being framed elsewhere, but the change at Staffordshire remains the focus here.
Two free Capturing Remembrance photography workshops will follow on 10 October. Photographs from those sessions may be considered for inclusion in the Capturing Remembrance exhibition, which will be displayed in Heroes’ Square from 7 November to 31 January.
Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day
The Field of Remembrance will return to the Gardens from 30 October to 15 November, opening with a public dedication service on Friday 30 October at 10.45am. Thousands of Armed Forces community members and the wider public are expected at the annual Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day services in November, with the Remembrance Sunday service on 8 November open to all and the Armistice Day service on 11 November ticketed.
The 11 November service will be held on the Armed Forces Memorial, and the proceedings will be broadcast on screens in Heroes’ Square for public viewing. That leaves a straightforward conclusion for visitors this autumn: the name has changed, the purpose has not, and the Gardens are still the place to go for the season’s main acts of remembrance.
