Southampton Spitfire Monument seeks investors help with funding
The project has been backed my No. 10
A campaign to build a Spitfire monument in the city of Southampton where the aircraft was first developed and built has taken its next steps to becoming a reality after being recognised with an event held at No. 10 Downing Street.
The National Spitfire Project plans to begin constructing the monument in Southampton in the autumn of 2024, with the aim of unveiling it to mark the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in September 2025.
With over half the money now secured, the trustees behind the monument are looking for contributions to see this important project finalised. The government has given the project its full backing with the allocation of £3 million, which was awarded by the former Chancellor, now Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, back in 2020.
At the event, held in Downing Street and attended by the Prime Minister, on Thursday, November 30th, Southampton MP Royston Smith, who has backed this project from the start, gave his thanks to the PM. Royston said: “The Board of Trustees and the project’s supporters are honoured by this kind invitation to hold today’s event at No. 10. With the government’s invaluable support, we look forward to seeing the Spitfire Monument proudly stand as an enduring symbol of hope, freedom, and innovation. It will provide a unique focal point and a place to reflect, educate, and inspire future generations.”
Supported by both the government and Southampton City Council, the Chief Executive, Mike Harris, who also attended the event, said: “We recognise the significance of what having the monument would mean not just for the city of Southampton but for the nation. A remarkable monument to remember the sacrifice those young pilots made to secure our freedoms”.
The monument, which has been given planning permission, will be based on the Supermarine Spitfire, an iconic aeroplane and remarkable feat of British engineering.
It is intrinsically associated with ‘The Few’, those brave RAF fighter pilots who fought the Battle of Britain during the summer of 1940, changing the course of the Second World War and of history.
The National Spitfire Project will deliver a world class monument in Mayflower Park, on Southampton’s waterfront, within sight of the original Supermarine factory, the birthplace of this remarkable and legendary aircraft.
Soaring out over the water to twice the height of the Angel of the North and comparable to the Statue of Liberty in scale and ambition, the centrepiece of the structure is a one-and-a-half scale replica of a Spitfire, fabricated from stainless steel with a wingspan of over 16 metres and mounted atop a curving mast resembling a vapour trail at 120 feet high.
This monument will be a national focal point to commemorate all those individuals who contributed to the Spitfire story, a fitting tribute to the men and women who designed, built, flew, and maintained the Spitfires that played such a decisive role in the Second World War and went on to serve with 31 air forces worldwide.
The total cost of the project is £6 million. The government has committed £3 million in match funding, and Southampton City Council is set to contribute a further £350,000 towards the construction of the project.
John Hannides, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said: “We’re going for the final push to raise the remaining funds from individuals, organisations, and companies who want to support this incredible project and see it completed.
“We have come a long way, but there is still more to do. The Trustees and all those involved in this project are focused on building the single most important monument to the Spitfire anywhere in the world. Evoking the ‘Spirit of the Spitfire’, it will serve as a reminder to us all of the importance of courage, determination, and ambition”.