A MEMORIAL Christmas tree is on display to remember the lives lost on Warwickshire’s roads.
The tree is decorated with leaves added by friends and families to remember someone special to them.
The public are invited to visit the tree – which is on display at Shire Hall, Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) HQ in Warwick – to remember a loved one by adding a leaf.
Leaves of remembrance were added to the tree during an all-faiths service at St Mary’s Church in Warwick held by the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership (WRSP) on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims last month.
During the ceremony, families and victims gathered to personally remember loved ones, friends or relatives, with representatives from the emergency services and road safety partners joining to show commitment and support for safer roads in Warwickshire.
As part of the service, attendees were invited to write a loved one’s name or a message on a leaf design by Proud Youth Warwickshire. The leaves are being displayed on the tree in the Shire Hall reception throughout December.
Coun Jan Matecki, WCC’s spokesman for transport and planning, said: “This tree symbolises that we will never forget those individuals who have died or been injured on our roads in Warwickshire.
“Christmas is a special time of year when families and friends gather to celebrate. We know how difficult this time can be for people who have lost someone special to them and sadly nothing can bring those loved one’s back. The tree provides a place to show that we will always remember them and symbolises a hope for a better and safer future.”
The annual service forms a key part of the Warwickshire’s Road Safety Strategy to 2030, which sets out plans to achieve a target of a 50 per cent reduction in road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
Residents unable to attend Shire Hall can email [email protected] to add a leaf of remembrance.
WRSP has also created an online space at www.warksroadsafety.org/warwickshireremembers for people to leave tributes to someone they have lost in a collision.
Warwickshire also has a permanent memorial for road traffic victims in the commemorative woodland at Hartshill Hayes Country Park in North Warwickshire.
Visit www.warksroadsafety.org for more information about WRSP.
