13.15 -15.30 Tenth anniversary Commemoration Service and candle lighting, St Charles Borromeo Church, 8 Ogle St, London W1W 6HS
Members of the public wishing to attend should contact the Mary Seacole Trust using the following email: contact@maryseacoletrust.org.uk
The Mary Seacole Trust will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of the unveiling of the statue of Mary Seacole, the first in Europe to a named black woman, on 30 June, with two events taking place in London.
VIPs, including the sculptor Martin Jennings, representatives from politics, nursing, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and the military, will gather early in the day for a wreath laying ceremony at the statue, which is situated in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital, on the banks of the River Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament in London.
The wreath laying will be followed in the afternoon by a commemorative service at St Charles Borromeo RC Church in Fitzrovia. It is open to anyone who would like to join the celebration of Mary Seacole’s life and work. Members of the public wishing to attend should let the Mary Seacole Trust know at contact@maryseacoletrust.org.uk
MST Chair, Dr Felicia Kwaku OBE, (H.C) Hon, RGN, FRCN, said: “This is a very special anniversary, not just for the Mary Seacole Trust, but for all those who supported 12 years of fundraising to make the statue a reality in 2016. We could not have known then that Mary would almost immediately become an important London landmark, and that after a century of being lost to history, she is now firmly part of London’s cultural life, visited by tourists from Britain and all over the world.
“As well as supporting the statue, the Mary Seacole Trust is proud of what we continue to achieve in terms of promoting Mary’s legacy of courage, equality, entrepreneurship and humanity. We look forward to continuing this work far beyond the next ten years.”
Professor Avey Bhatia, Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Mary Seacole was an incredible pioneer, and she continues to be an inspiration for so many of our nursing and midwifery staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ today.
“Her statue at St Thomas’ Hospital is a constant reminder of the importance of care and compassion, and our wonderfully diverse, inclusive and ambitious staff, of whom I am very proud.”
The statue, by award-winning British sculptor Martin Jennings, was unveiled by Baroness Floella Benjamin in 2016. It was funded by donations large and small, including a contribution by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne from Libor funds, a scheme that imposed misconduct levies on banks to fund military and other charitable causes.
