Opening Ceremony

The Youth Memorial Garden was formally dedicated on a cold Sunday morning in January 2010 with a full road closure and an attendance of more than 200 people. During the build up to the ceremony the crowds were entertained by street performances from local youngsters – a jazz guitarist, a juggler, and disco dancers – and hot refreshments were provided at a stall run by The Well Café and in Christchurch. There were podium speeches from Nichola Dixon (Deputy Mayor), John Howell MP, and David Wybron (Head at Lord Williams’s School), and poems were read by Rev Ian Mountford, and Jade Stanley (Trustee). The event concluded with the release of inflated Helium Balloons in memory of those who died too young

A Video taken by Matt Evans of the garden opening ceremony can be found here