A Fleet philanthropist is hoping to grow his ‘Tree Of Life’ and is now fundraising for the project.
Harold Payne, the owner of the Anglia Motel, says he and a group of volunteers have raised over £1m in the last 35 years.
Much of it has gone towards veterans charities and displays of remembrance, including taking people to former battlefields.
Now Harold is in the process of raising around £250,000 for the war memorial the Tree of Life to be placed alongside the memorial garden already created by the side of the A17.
The design has planning permission and involves a steel sculpture with 500 butterflies on it, marking those who died in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Others on the surrounding railings will represent losses in Northern Ireland and The Falklands.
It was inspired by Harold hearing about a woman from Wisbech who lost one son while serving in Afghanistan and anther who subsequently took his own life.
“All of the veterans I helped have passed on now, but my final promise to them was to carry on collecting,” Harold said.
“The people who use the Anglia Motel are so generous .
“They’ve donated so much money. That’s also down to the brilliant volunteers I have such as Peter and Wendy Morris who are there collecting every Friday and Saturday.
“I want to provide this memorial so people remember the sacrifice that thousands of them made.”
“It’s all very much led by Harold,” said Peter.
Harold would especially like to hear from individuals, businesses or groups who would like to donate a brick to the memorial.
Their names will be included as part of the construction, or the name of a loved-one could be inscribed as a lasting testament.
Harold regularly holds events on and around Remembrance Sunday, including a poppy air drop in recent years, but he’s due to have an operation on his knees this week, so won’t be able to carry out anything this year.
