Councillor says ‘fire inside us is still burning’ as Grenfell Memorial plans released
The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has released a new report with recommendations on what a memorial should look like and plans for it to be built in 2026
Grenfell Tower still stands today, six years after the tragic incident took place that killed 72 people.
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‘The memorial should make sure the world can never forget what happened to our loved ones’ makes up the first line of a set of recommendations set out by the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission in their latest report on how to commemorate the tragedy that happened six years ago.
On the 14th of June 2017, a fire broke out at a 23-storey tower block in North Kensington and killed 72 people. The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission was set up in 2018 to lead community research on how the disaster could and should be commemorated.
The Commission released their second report this week which sets out six recommendations. They say they are based on continuous and thorough conversations with the Grenfell community for a “sacred space” designed to be a “peaceful place for remembering and reflecting”.
These suggestions include the opportunity to display the names of those who were killed; funds designated to the upkeep of the memorial; a monument and a structure to protect visitors from bad weather when visiting; the inclusion of a garden, water and light; to be suitable for children and commemorate children killed; and an organisation to be appointed to oversee the day-to-day management of the memorial site.
The Commission’s report also set out a timeline, beginning with artists being chosen by late 2024 and the construction of the memorial starting in 2026. This is dependent on whether the government agrees to the recommendations and ‘honour their commitment’ which the commission says is ‘vital’.
The report is an important step towards memorialising such a tragedy and the Chair of Lancaster West Residents Association, Abbas Dadou, welcomed the steady progress of the project.
He said “It is not easy for someone mourning some of their loved ones to engage in such decision-making so early and because so many people are involved in this it takes time to consider everyone’s view and vision“
The temporary Grenfell Tower Memorial outside of the tower block
Marwan Elnaghi, the Councillor for Notting Dale Ward, said the recovery is long term and what happened was “not just a fire that you pour water over and it is extinguished, the fire inside us is still flaming”.
He continued “As long as I see justice happen in that symbolic initiative, it will be a contributing factor for [the community’s] recovery”.
However, there have been ‘tuts’ throughout the community about whether the building should stay standing in the meantime, and eventually as part of the memorial. This is according to local resident and radio host Piers Thompson. He believes the tower should stand as a constant reminder of what happened there.
Survivor Clarita Ghavimi, who lived on the tenth floor of Grenfell Tower, feels differently and expressed her frustration at the memorial taking so long.
She said, “This is too long, they need to bring it down […] it is traumatising for us survivors to see it every day”.
The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission is still awaiting final confirmation from the government on the practicalities of the memorial and when things will begin.
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HeadlineCouncillor says ‘fire inside us is still burning’ as Grenfell Memorial plans released
Short Headline'The fire inside us is still burning': Grenfell Memorial plans released
StandfirstThe Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has released a new report with recommendations on what a memorial should look like and plans for it to be built in 2026
‘The memorial should make sure the world can never forget what happened to our loved ones’ makes up the first line of a set of recommendations set out by the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission in their latest report on how to commemorate the tragedy that happened six years ago.
On the 14th of June 2017, a fire broke out at a 23-storey tower block in North Kensington and killed 72 people. The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission was set up in 2018 to lead community research on how the disaster could and should be commemorated.
The Commission released their second report this week which sets out six recommendations. They say they are based on continuous and thorough conversations with the Grenfell community for a “sacred space” designed to be a “peaceful place for remembering and reflecting”.
These suggestions include the opportunity to display the names of those who were killed; funds designated to the upkeep of the memorial; a monument and a structure to protect visitors from bad weather when visiting; the inclusion of a garden, water and light; to be suitable for children and commemorate children killed; and an organisation to be appointed to oversee the day-to-day management of the memorial site.
The Commission’s report also set out a timeline, beginning with artists being chosen by late 2024 and the construction of the memorial starting in 2026. This is dependent on whether the government agrees to the recommendations and ‘honour their commitment’ which the commission says is ‘vital’.
The report is an important step towards memorialising such a tragedy and the Chair of Lancaster West Residents Association, Abbas Dadou, welcomed the steady progress of the project.
He said “It is not easy for someone mourning some of their loved ones to engage in such decision-making so early and because so many people are involved in this it takes time to consider everyone’s view and vision“
The temporary Grenfell Tower Memorial outside of the tower block
Marwan Elnaghi, the Councillor for Notting Dale Ward, said the recovery is long term and what happened was “not just a fire that you pour water over and it is extinguished, the fire inside us is still flaming”.
He continued “As long as I see justice happen in that symbolic initiative, it will be a contributing factor for [the community’s] recovery”.
However, there have been ‘tuts’ throughout the community about whether the building should stay standing in the meantime, and eventually as part of the memorial. This is according to local resident and radio host Piers Thompson. He believes the tower should stand as a constant reminder of what happened there.
Survivor Clarita Ghavimi, who lived on the tenth floor of Grenfell Tower, feels differently and expressed her frustration at the memorial taking so long.
She said, “This is too long, they need to bring it down […] it is traumatising for us survivors to see it every day”.
The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission is still awaiting final confirmation from the government on the practicalities of the memorial and when things will begin.
