Memorial items left in Keyham will be kept as a permanent tribute to those who lost their lives in the attack on the 12 August.
Following consultation with residents of Keyham and the families of those who lost their lives, Council staff will join members of the local community, to begin to remove the sea of flowers, plants, cards, teddies, candles and balloons that have been placed in key locations throughout the local area, from the 2 September.
Initially all the donations will be moved to a local secure area, where items will be digitally captured. Then, a range of petals of from the donations will be pressed and cast in resin, stored safely for the bereaved families and local community to view at a later date. Those that have wilted will be turned into compost, and used for future green space memorials.
Soft toys left as a tribute will be cleaned and stored and in future they will be given to children’s charities such as the Teddy Trust who give soft toys to children experiencing traumatic events all over the world. Messages and cards left will be kept by The Box, and stored for historical record.
Those wishing to continue to share their tributes will still be able to do so at a special memorial based at The Box. From Friday 3 until Friday 17 September, The Box will be turning its Cottonian Research Room into a drop-in space where people can leave their messages of condolence. Find out more.
Members of the public can call in at any time between 10am and 12pm every day except Mondays. Green card and stencils will be available for them to create their own hearts and write their tributes.
A facilitator will be on hand at all times to guide and support people. The hearts will then be displayed in The Box for everyone to see. Longer-term, they will be documented and held in the city archives.
Councillor Nick Kelly, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: “The number of physical tributes to those who lost their lives has been very touching. We know that each one came from the heart, and meant something to the local community. We want to permanently capture each donation.
“We have been working closely with the local community to make sure that these acts of kindness are preserved and protected. Over the past week or so, we have already made sure that many of them have been protected from the rain.
“Our preservation work will ensure that longer term, those who lost their lives will not be forgotten and their spirit and memories will live on forever.
“Over the weeks and months ahead there will be further tributes and memorials planned, and I am pleased that The Box has been able to facilitate a further opportunity for people to pass on their messages.”
The removal process will commence at 10am. Officers and the community representatives will be wearing black high-vis jackets and will carefully remove each item throughout the day.
For people planning other memorials or tributes, please get in touch at: plymouthtogether@plymouth.gov.uk