Work is to start by the end of the year installing a memorial and bridge in a Liverpool park, dedicated to the memory of Nelson Mandela.
The Princes Park scheme includes a new ‘Freedom Bridge’, pavilion and 32 cylindrical stoneworks inscribed with inspirational Mandela quotes. The pedestals represent the oil drums Mandela used to grow an allotment on the rooftop of Pollsmoor Prison.
The project reflects upon Mandela’s love of gardens and horticulture along with his struggle for freedom, equality and humanity, and the spaces will be used for future activity in the park, acting as a focal point and an area to visit, reflect and educate.
The city council has already restored the surrounding lake including reinstating the water channel, fixing edging stones, putting in fishing platforms and ecological improvements.
His family – eldest daughter Dr Makaziwe ‘Maki’ Mandela and his granddaughter Tukwini Mandela – have confirmed they will be coming to the city for the official opening at Princes Park in July 2020, as part of Mandela Week, on what would have been his 101st birthday.
They were last in the city in February this year when they toured the site and visited a number of community projects and viewed artwork created by Nelson Mandela which is on permanent display at St George’s Hall gifted to the city by his daughter.
Funding for the memorial and bridge has come from a number of sources including planning agreements made with developers (section 106) and UNI Global, a conglomerate of unions representing 20 million workers in the skills and services sectors.
Dr Makaziwe Mandela and Tukwini Mandela (pictured above) said: “We are delighted to be coming back to Liverpool, a city dear to our hearts.
“It will be a special moment indeed when the memorial is opened and so special to us to know that the memorial is Liverpool’s way of continuing to show their love and respect for our Father and Grandfather and ensure his legacy lives on.
“Liverpool’s connection to South Africa and its support of Anti-Apartheid is significant and we look forward to developing a legacy for the future of Liverpool by being there to lead Mandela week.”
Sonia Bassey, Chair and one of the founding members of Mandela8, said: “The last five years for Mandela8 have been the most amazing journey.
“We have worked hard with the communities of Liverpool to realise their dream and are so excited to finally see the memorial installed.
“We were told we had given our communities hope when the Mandela family visited Liverpool last year, so we are humbled that they would want to come back and share this special moment with us and bless the very place that will be fundamental to our ongoing educational work in communities.
“We have exciting plans for Mandela Week next year that will truly make commemorating Mandela’s birthday special.”
Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “It is fantastic news that we will be starting work on the Mandela memorial, which will be a lasting tribute to his unrivalled achievements in bringing the evil of apartheid to an end.
“The memorial project has been years in the planning and I know from meeting them last year how touched the family are that this tribute will be taking centre stage in such a beautiful green space.
“It will be a privilege and an honour to once again welcome the Mandela family for what will be a very special occasion when the memorial is completed.”
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The feedback is still coming in from what was a fantastic day of #My67Minutes activities and Mandela Day Celebration in 2019. Here are just some of the facts and figures (correct as of 7th October, 2019):
In Cheshire East alone there were 11 primary schools and 3 secondary schools taking part with a total of 5929 pupils taking part. All schools received a copy of the Long Walk to Freedom. All had access to the 67 ideas brochure and the primary and secondary school presentation for school assembly’s.
6 volunteers organised: a Mandela cake raffle; 67 cup cake sale; organised the school programme with over 101 participants (excludes school numbers above) using 22 volunteer hours. The raffle raised over £300 and was donated to My Cheshire Without Abuse, a Crewe based charity.
Additionally in Cheshire and Warrington a Winsford school took part with 750 pupils taking part.
Overall for Mandela Day for feedback forms received back the following info / stats were recorded:
· 20 youth centres participated
· 15 voluntary organisations participated
· Expansion to schools across the wider Liverpool City Region (and additional 408 primary schools and 61 secondary schools –total schools then involved 530 – 231,589 pupils)
· Expansion to schools in Cheshire and Warrington (12 primary and 3 secondary schools – total schools then involved 15 – 6,679 pupils)
· 4 schools across Liverpool City Region signed up to Schools Pledge to use the memorial garden for educational purposes once installed
· 4 barrel gardens developed for schools who were part of the Start of Works on Site Ceremony
· A total of 192 volunteers took part
· A total of 995 volunteer hours were recorded
· A total of 5361 participants took part (excluding schools).
· A total of 243,629 participants took part including schools.
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First elected African-Caribbean female Government Minister becomes Mandela8 PatronLimited edition artwork by Nelson Mandela, gifted to Liverpool City Council and the Mandela8 group by his eldest daughter, have been put on permanent display in St George’s Hall.
The City of Liverpool has strong connections to Nelson Mandela, being active in supporting anti-apartheid since the 1960’s and supporting the Free Nelson Mandela campaign and giving Nelson Mandela the Freedom of the city in 1994.
The Mandela8 group was established in 2013 after Nelson Mandela’s passing to establish a permanent memorial and educational programme as a fitting legacy. The memorial will be installed in Princes Park and officially opened in 2019.
Earlier this year representatives from both Mandela8 and Liverpool City Council visited South Africa to share the designs for the memorial with the Mandela family and were delighted to return to Liverpool not only with the blessing of Nelson Mandela’s eldest daughter Dr Makaziwe ‘Maki’ Mandela for the designs, but the beautiful gift of the limited edition ‘Struggles Collection’ prints.
The collection includes 5 line drawings depicting the various stages of South Africa’s development and the direct influence Nelson Mandela brought from struggle, imprisonment, freedom, unity and future.
It is without question that such a significant gift needs to be shared and be accessible to all who wish to see it so the prints are now permanently displayed in St Georges Hall.
Councillor Wendy Simon, Deputy Mayor of Liverpool and Cabinet member for Culture and Events, said:
“Going to South Africa and meeting the Mandela Family was a privilege and an honour. For the family to give us their blessing for the memorial design was incredibly exciting. Then for the City of Liverpool to be gifted these amazing prints was something we didn’t expected and were deeply humbled by.”
Lynn Collins, Chair of Mandela8 said:
“The images and messages in these prints will have a strong resonance with many in our city, who will not only have supported the Anti-Apartheid movement over many years, but will have been engaged in their own struggles for justice and fairness. It’s an honour to have been part of bringing them to Liverpool”
Sonia Bassey, Director and one of the founding members of Mandela8 said:
“The significance of ‘The Struggle’ prints being displayed in St Georges Hall in Mandela’s centenary year is huge. This artwork is not only the first Black artwork to go on permanent display in such a significant venue in the City, but it is Nelson Mandela’s, the most significant global leader of our time”.
Alan Smith, General Manager, St Georges Hall said:
“St George’s Hall is delighted to receive the works of Nelson Mandela to be on permanent display at the hall, and, following on from Nelson Mandela being awarded the Freedom of the city, the works go a long way in enhancing a new narrative for the city and its key venues of being truly multi-cultural and inclusive.”
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