MEMORIAL FUND RAISING

Borderers,

Please see below:

My name is Edward Mackenzie, I served over 24 years with the Queens Own Highlanders, The Highlanders and 4SCOTS. I have now joined the Reserves and am now teaching recruits at ATU N, Strensall. I am writing to you to ask for support from the Regimental family.

Since October I have been planning and raising money for a memorial to built at the National Memorial Arboretum, NMA, for veterans that have sadly taken their own lives, after leaving their respective service. This is for all three Armed Services.

Why am I doing this? I, like many others have lost friends that we have served with to suicide and feel that we should have somewhere to honour them as veterans with a memorial for families and friends to remember them. I would like to have raised the necessary funds required to have it built and erected within the next 2 years. I have spoken to many sculptors and they think that it would take at least 18 months to make and build. I Also think it will take around this amount of time to raise the desired funds of £50,000-£100,000.

What am I doing to raise the funds? Since I have started this venture I have raised over £8,000 in donations and over £1,300 in corporate sponsorship. My initial fundraiser is to kayak from Liverpool to London 17th – 30th August 2021. (Originally planned for April but postponed because of Covid restrictions). I am being supported by a small team of fellow soldiers and veterans, mostly from The Highlanders (4SCOTS). I have also applied for charity status, which is currently pending and have a senior member of the Royal family ready to be the Royal Patron once it has been approved. I also have support from Westminster, who are also promoting my initial event and cause. Further to this I have support from various key members of the Army from ITG and retired senior Officers.

All the planning and training for the initial event is going well, including a lot of press. I have attached an article from the Telegraph and the blog on my page will show you more, including the recent mention in the Houses of Parliament.

I am writing to you to ask if you can kindly help towards the donations and support me with this important cause that has affected our Regiments over the years.

You can read my page and all the information on my page (link below), I am also attaching the initial press statement and poster.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope that you can give me your support.

Edward Mackenzie

Elysium Memorial Foundation
https://www.elysiummemorial.co.uk/
https://www.canalradio.uk/promotions.html