On Friday 14 May, Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West, visited the White Cliffs of Dover to see the proposed site for the memorial to Dame Vera Lynn. Sir David was joined by the Leader and Deputy Leader of Dover District Council, Councillor Oliver Richardson and council officers to discuss plans to create a suitable and accessible home for the sculpture.

Together with Dame Vera’s family, Sir David Amess MP is launching a campaign for a permanent memorial to one of the most loved stars this country has produced and made the case for the project in the House of Commons during an Adjournment Debate on Tuesday 11 May.

An initial site visit took place in April where it was decided that the most impressive and relevant site would be a proposed open-air amphitheatre or bowl overlooking Dover Marina and the white cliffs. The memorial to Dame Vera Lynn would be at the heart of plans to provide a venue for concerts, theatrical productions and military events in the nature settings of the white cliffs of Dover.

The campaign to raise the money for this project will go live on 18th June- the first anniversary of Dame Vera’s death. A launch video on the day will include contributions from Katherine Jenkins OBE, Sir Tim Rice and Anthony Andrews.

Following the visit Sir David said “I was absolutely delighted to be able to see for myself the proposed site for the memorial to Dame Vera Lynn on the white cliffs of Dover. I think the plans to incorporate the memorial as part of an open-air arts venue are absolutely fantastic. I would like to thank Dover District Council for their support with this project and I am very much looking forward to the launch on 18th June.”