Last year we told you about one of our very own Solar Champions Mrs Lydia Smith who, in her 90th year, swam an impressive 750m to raise money for the Free Spirit Horse Memorial Appeal. Mrs Smith installed a Sunuser solar thermal system at her home in Shropshire on 3rd September 1996 and has provided her continued support ever since. We were proud to sponsor her in this admirable effort for a great cause.
The Free Spirit Horse Memorial will pay tribute to the thousands of horses that have served mankind in times of conflict, work, sport, rehabilitation and education. A beautiful bronze Free Spirit Maquette has been created and the project needs to raise £250,000 to create the life sized tribute at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Staffordshire. Mrs Smith and the Free Spirit Horse Memorial project are still working hard to achieve this and a ‘Celebration of the Horse’ event was recently hosted at the Defence Medical Services in Whittington – see a copy of the programme below.
Supporters and local dignitaries joined together for a wonderful evening of ‘horse’ filled fun. Speakers included Grahm Winton, author of ‘Theirs Not To Reason Why: Horsing the British Army 1875-1925’, Richard Waygood, former Riding Master of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and John Fairley, a noted documentary and sports television producer. There was music from the Staffordshire Corps of Drums and students from Broadway Academy in Birmingham read ‘War Horse’ by Brenda Williams. The evening closed with the launch of the Free Spirit song performed by young volunteers.
We wish the project every success for the future and reaching their target of £250,000. For further details of the Free Spirit Horse Memorial Appeal please visit their website. If you would like to be a major contributor to the Free Spirit Horse Memorial Appeal please email [email protected] Tracey Francis is the Project Director and Richard Davidson is the Ambassador.