Artist Joe Robinson explains the idea behind Enfield Living Memorial and the latest plans for a new sculpture at its centre

Enfield Living Memorial and (inset) the design for a new sculpture

The Enfield Living Memorial is a borough-wide community project aiming to provide a space to recognise collective bereavement, and to remember all those lost locally from or during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The project has been facilitated by a small group of community partners, led by the Soroptimist Club of Enfield, co-working with myself as a local artist.

Starting with 30 trees, planted in the shape of a heart, the project is moving to its second stage, with a permanent artwork in its centre. The design represents a phoenix, which offers a symbol of loss and renewal. The sculpture’s design is a triptych, cut in special steel. It will stand about two meters high. Work on it is now under way and the completed memorial will have a public opening in the autumn.

The completed memorial will create a place for personal and collective reflection for everyone who visits the site. It aims to create a way to acknowledge loss and grief during one of the most traumatic events of our collective generation.

The site in Town Park was chosen after months of considering various public spaces in Enfield. The park stands at the very centre of our borough but importance was also given to nearby facilities, parking and easy public transport access from all parts of Enfield. There were also practical limitations and technical issues of each space we looked at.

This project is reliant on funding raised from the public and from organisations who wish to support it. The estimated budget for the whole project is around £23,000 and will also depend on the goodwill and ‘in kind’ support of various partners.

Find out more about the memorial and help contribute to the project:
Visit enfieldlivingmemorial.org

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