Call for more to get involved with commemorative Telford Veterans Trail
Local veterans and their families are being encouraged to secure their place in history on the Telford Veterans Trail - a commemorative new pathway in Telford Town Park leading to the existing War Memorial.
Officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen Consort on March 14, the trail consists of commemorative marble plaques laid side by side providing a lasting tribute to veterans. Telford Veterans Trail charity is now aiming to complete the landmark in time to honour the towns’ veterans this Remembrance Day.
The project, which is the brainchild of ex-Army personnel and chairperson of the Telford Veteran Trail charity, Erica Hanson-McKenzie, is backed by the Rotary Club and Telford and Wrekin Council, and received a generous donation by Balfour Beatty.
In order to highlight the importance of recognising today’s veterans so that they receive the support they deserve, the charity is now driving forward the project to get more and more families involved, and more individuals honoured.
Erica said: “Telford is the perfect place to celebrate veterans. It has many military links and there are, at this time, 8,066 veterans and over 16,000 service personnel living in the borough.
"It is these individuals that the Telford Veterans Trail wants to celebrate, creating a dedicated place to recognise their contribution and bravery. Sadly it is often those living veterans who are forgotten.
"As a nation we are great at remembering the fallen, but we have a long way to go in giving thanks for the service of living veterans, hence the Telford Veterans Trail motto is 'Saluting Today’s Veterans'," she said.
"The trail has been six years in the making, and I hope it will become a treasured setting forevermore - providing a source of celebration, comfort and reflection for both veterans and those still serving with HM Forces today.”
The opportunity to be a part of the commemorative project is open to all veterans, serving personnel or their loved ones. However, plaques are limited and allocated on a first-come first-served basis.
Anybody interested can find out more by visiting the Telford Veterans Trail website at telfordsveterantrail.co.uk where plaques can be ordered - with a proportion of all plaque proceeds going towards helping local veteran charities. Charitable donations are also gratefully received.
