The Police Memorial Trust help celebrate ‘100 years of Women in British Policing’

Mar 8, 2019 | News Update, The National Police Memorial

Posters depicting former female police officers
During the recent major refurbishment and maintenance programme the United Kingdom’s National Police Memorial in London has been hidden from view behind building hoardings.
The National Police Memorial hidden behind building hoardings

After learning the Memorial was to feature in a special parade to mark 100 years of women in British policing on International Women’s Day, the Police Memorial Trust decided to do all they could to help accommodate the event.

The National Police Memorial hidden behind building hoardings
Following several meetings with the event’s organisers and despite some very real challenges the charity’s Trustees, Mr Steve Lloyd and Mr Dennis Rowen, went the extra mile to ensure the memorial looked at it’s best for the historic occasion.

The Trust commissioned a team of specialist contractors to build Mr Rowen’s design which created a stunning temporary area to display the nation’s Police Roll of Honour.

Temporary National Police Memorial
The Roll holds the names of nearly five thousand officers who lost their lives in the service of the British people. Mr Rowen’s design also incorporated a photographic exhibition which was attached along the hoardings.
Posters depicting former female police officers
The parade duly set off from Wellington Baracks in Birdcage Walk with over a thousand serving and retired female police officers in it’s ranks.
Serving and retired female police officers

As the Band of the Coldstream Guards played, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick led the parade past Buckingham Palace and down The Mall.

Coldstream Guards Band
Female police officers marching down the Mall
Female police officers standing by the temporary National Police Memorial
Crowd of people by the temporary National Police Memorial
The parade halted at the Memorial for the participants to pay their respects to all fallen police officers and for a wreath laying ceremony to take place.
Female police officer carrying flower wreath
The Commissoner laid the first of several floral tributes on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Service.
The police Commissioner laying a floral wreath
Cressida Dick at the temporary National Police Memorial
Dame Cressida Dick
The parade then marched onto Horse Guards Parade where they were addressed by Dame Cressida.
Dame Cressida Dick addressing crowd
The Chair of the Police Memorial Trust, Mrs. Michael Winner said:

“The sight of all the ladies parading down The Mall was fantastic. It was a marvellous tribute to all the women who served or who are now serving in the police”.

She added:

“Our thanks must go to Dennis and Steve for all their hard work.

My late husband, Michael, would have been so proud to have seen his beloved memorial playing such an important part in the ceremony. I know this is exactly the sort of thing he had in mind when he built it on behalf of the Nation”.

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