Owing to the dramatically increasing risk to health from Coronavirus, the Project Vernon management has issued the following statement with much regret.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is a further announcement on behalf of the Project Vernon trustees and management team.
As the result of a meeting yesterday 14 March between David Sandiford (the Vernon Monument’s Project Manager) and Sean Sweeney MBE (Gunwharf Quays Centre Manager and a trustee of Project Vernon), it has been decided to cancel the unveiling ceremony for the Vernon Mine Warfare & Diving Monument planned for 25 March 2020. It is fair to say that both VMP and GWQ went into the meeting with a broadly similar view, that the event has to be cancelled.
We know this will bring widespread disappointment but the alternative does not bear thinking about.
As you will be aware, the Coronavirus is spreading and we, like GWQ, are risk averse. In short there is no point in risking the life of even one of our supporters or our management team or those in GWQ in the face of the undoubtedly increasing threat of COVID-19. We have taken into account the fact that a high percentage of those invited to attend the ceremony fall into the definition of “Vulnerable” where the virus is concerned.
An email was sent yesterday to all trustees and members of the management team and, unsurprisingly, there was unanimous support for this action.
It is still intended to install the monument next week but leave it shrouded and, after some time for final work, to take the covers off.
The current plan is that the monument will be on show from next month in its designated site for all to see - virus permitting. A further announcement will be made once this has been done.
It is intended to organise a “Dedication Ceremony” at some time in the future but until it is known what is likely to happen with the virus, the team can’t even begin to guess when that will be. It might even be next year.
So - let’s get the monument in and let’s get it on display but let’s celebrate doing that together at a safer time in the future.
On behalf of
The Trustees and Management Committee
The Vernon Mine Warfare and Diving Monument”
The health and welfare of potential attendees, particularly the elderly and infirm, is the Project's primary consideration. This was a difficult but necessary decision and your understanding and cooperation are requested.
Despite the destructive effect of Coronavirus on the unveiling ceremony, the good news is that the Vernon Mine Warfare & Diving Monument is now fully assembled and the patination process has started. It is still on track to be installed at Gunwharf Quays in late March 2020.
