Unique memorial honouring armed forces personnel who died by suicide given guard of honour by veterans

More than 100 bikers have given a new memorial a guard on honour on its journey to the National Memorial Arboretum.

The Elysium Memorial is a first of its kind in the UK, honouring all serving personnel and veterans who have died by suicide and will be officially opened in the next few months.

It was the idea of Ed Mackenzie, who set up a foundation to begin fundraising a few years ago.

Ed told GB News the memorial aims to remember those who have been lost, and start a conversation about mental health in and out of the armed forces.

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He said: “When I was serving as a regular soldier, I'd lost about 14 friends to suicide, and then after I left, I think we were up to about 22.

“I just want there to be a place for them and for their families and their colleagues to go and, you know, reflect and talk stories to each other.

“Everyone talks about mental health, everyone talks about PTSD, everyone, anywhere in the country knows of a veteran that has committed suicide, however, no one talks about suicide itself, so we need to start talking about that.

“Getting out of the shadows, addressing that, and working forward to help prevent suicide from happening in the first place.

“This is my way of wanting to commemorate them and celebrate them and celebrate their service.”

The memorial has been crafted in Leyburn in the Yorkshire Dales by stonemasons, A.D Calvert.

Co-Owner, Allison Calvert, told GB News it’s been a “proud” moment for her staff to create the commemoration.

She said: “It's something that's meant a lot to so many people: the families, the friends, and the communities of the veterans.

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“Our team have been taking such care and detail with the project, it's going to be treasured by everyone.

“Our staff are just so proud to have been involved with it.

For the memorial, being finished was just the start of its journey. With nearly 150 miles to travel to its permanent home at the National Memorial Arboretum, veteran bikers and other motorcycle clubs wanted to be involved.

Through the Yorkshire countryside, along the motorway, and finally to the Arboretum, more than a hundred men and women gave it a guard of honour.

Paddy McCarthy and Mark Wright were part of the escort and said it was great to see everyone “ride as one”.

Paddy told GB News: “It's a sense of pride, isn't it? We all should all back our military and it's good to come together, bikers and scooters, so that we can all, all ride as one.”

Mark added: “We don't do enough for our veterans, we just abandon them.

“It's nice that you're doing something for a purpose, if you know what I mean, that's the good thing.”

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