Police memorial plaque unveiled at Fylde Arboretum

Monday, March 11, 2024

Cadets from the Blackpool and Fylde Unit have been taking part in a Heritage Crime project, involving the design, development, and maintenance of a Police Memorial at the Fylde Memorial Arboretum.

The project is a result of charity Young Voices Heard, Historic England and the National Volunteer Police Cadet Organisation, coming together and encouraging police Cadet Leaders across the country to highlight the value of heritage and war memorial crime.

Blackpool and Fylde Cadets were amongst the first in the country to take on the initiative and chose to focus their efforts on the local Arboretum.

A Cadet ‘Arboretum Committee’ was formed at the beginning of the process, with a membership of 10 Cadets and two volunteer Cadet leaders.

A plinth was donated by the Fylde Arboretum and plaques were funded by Young Voices Heard. The plaques have been engraved with information of police officers who lost their lives whilst on duty in the Blackpool and Fylde area since 1893.

Project Lead and Volunteer Cadet Leader Steve Smith said: “We are really proud of this project and everything that the Cadets have achieved in putting this together.

“All Cadets in the committee had responsibilities and tasks, which provided them with an insight into project management, introduced them to new skills and also the fulfilment of completing such a worthwhile, lasting cause.

“The memorial is available for anyone to come and view at the Fylde Memorial Arboretum.”