Over £18,000 raised in Halifax for the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment Memorial Appeal

The event took place at The Arches in Dean Clough on Friday, and was the third of its kind in aid of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment Memorial Appeal, with the group aiming to raise enough funds to complete a commemorative memorial in Halifax this spring.

The private function, which welcomed over 240 supporters, included esteemed guests, Lady Jane Wellesley, sister of The Duke of Wellington, and Lord and Lady Mackintosh of Halifax.

The event itself featured a champagne reception, meal and words from Brigadier Andrew Meek and sculptor Andrew Sinclair - tasked with creating the memorial in honour of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment’s 300 years of service to the Crown.

As the evening progressed, guests were treated to a spellbinding performance by Britain’s Got Talent winning magician, Lance Corporal Richard Jones and a live auction.

Designed and created by world-class figurative sculptor, Andrew Sinclair, the completed memorial will be unveiled on Friday, May 17 by The Duke of Wellington, Charles Wellesley, and will sit in the heart of Halifax, West Yorkshire, the home of the Regiment for over 200 years.

Andrew Sinclair, sculptor of the memorial said: “To be selected as the sculptor for this incredibly prestigious memorial is a wonderful honour. Having a great fascination for military history, I am very much looking forward to delving into the longstanding past of the Regiment and creating a sculpture which commemorates its admirable spirit and the qualities of the Yorkshire soldier within the design.”

Brigadier Andrew Meek CBE said: “It was tremendous to see so many people at our event in Halifax, showing their support for the Regiment. Our goal is to raise £240,000 for the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment Memorial Appeal in order to unveil Andrew Sinclair’s sculpture, which will sit in the heart of Halifax, home of the regiment for two centuries.”

The memorial will honour the members of the Regiment who gave their lives to our country, acknowledge those who served in all battalions and recognise the families and their home county.

To complete the memorial, a further £20,000 needs to be raised to reach the target of £240,000. To donate to the Appeal, please follow this link:

http://memorial.dwr.org.uk/#donate.