A new home for the Royal British Legion memorial garden

Published: 13 August 2020

Update: Royal British Legion memorial move postponed due to social distancing changes

A memorial garden in Speke is to be relocated to a new and fitting home, following in-depth consultation with families, The Royal British Legion, the armed forces and the Ministry of Justice.

The former Royal British Legion club on Dam Wood Road, Speke, is currently home to a garden of remembrance and the ashes of local ex-service personnel.

However, the site in now inaccessible and has fallen into disrepair following the loss of the Royal British Legion club to fire in 2017. The land is now owned by South Liverpool Homes (SLH) and we plan to regenerate the South Parade area, which includes providing much-needed homes for generations to come.

Following extensive consultation and with the consent of families, a new home has been found for the memorial at nearby All Saint’s Church. A casket of earth representing those remembered will be moved to the church in a special ceremony on 4 October, subject to current Government advice on social distancing.

We urge anyone who has loved ones at the Royal British Legion site who have not yet come forward to contact selina.wall-aldis@southliverpoolhomes.co.uk as soon as possible so that we can make the necessary arrangements for exhumation.

Claire Ryan, SLH’s Executive Director of Investment and Assurance said: “We know that the garden is a special place for Speke. That’s why we’ve worked closely with the local community, the armed forces and All Saints Church, to find a place where families can visit and remember their loved ones in a fitting, peaceful and beautiful setting.

“The church already has a memorial that commemorates the residents of Speke who were killed in the First World War so it was felt that this would be the perfect place to relocate the memorial.

“We are in the process of commissioning a book of remembrance at the church to commemorate the 118 ex-service personnel who are currently remembered at the garden.”

Please follow our website and social media channels for further updates on the relocation of the memorial garden.