This project was conceived in 1995 by the Anguilla Day Celebrations Committee. It was felt that a project of this nature will best commemorate our recent past history and at the same time honour the men and women that fought for our freedom.

The Committee in its deliberations concluded that it was too late to initiate or complete the project for the 1995 celebrations. It was then decided that it would make an excellent project for 1997, the 30^th Anniversary of Anguilla’s Revolution. However, with the absence of an independent co-ordinating body for the project, the Committee ended up in its original position.

Bearing the aforementioned in mind, the Anguilla National Youth Council adopted the project and ensured that all the preliminaries of the project were taken care of. Such preliminaries included;

Selection of the Architect

The Design of the Project

Location of the Project

Planning approval for the Project

Costing of the Project

Selection of names of honourees

Ground Breaking Ceremony

All the aforementioned were done in consultation with the Anguilla Day Celebrations Committee. Who provided technical and financial assistance from the design stages to the Ground Breaking Ceremony.

Mr. Kevin Gumbs of KCG & Co. was selected to present the Anguilla National Youth Council (ANYC) with two proposed designs for the project. Please find detailed copies of the selected design for the project by Architect Kevin Gumbs attached to this document

The Monument is surrounded by walkways, elliptical in shape, which consists of natural stone and granite. At the centre of the Monument, is a body of water which represents the ocean. This body of water comprises two (2) waterfalls and a flow of water, which cascades down the face of the natural stone surface.

Rising from the body of water, is a natural stone base which represents the rugged past of the island. This ends in a pinnacle of finished natural stone and marble, to which are attached the plaques bearing the names of heroes and heroines of the Great Wars, Revolution and other individuals who have contributed to the progress of the island in other fields.

Mounted at the top of this stone and marble pinnacle, are three (3) bronze dolphins, a symbol which has played an important role in our past during the revolution and is continuing to do so.

The Planning Committee housed under the umbrella of the Lands and Survey Department approved the project in May of 1998. The then approved site for the Project was the plot of land adjacent to the General Post Office. This has recently been changed. The Monument is now located in front of the new House of Assembly Building.

Mr. Bernard Carty of B’s Construction located in South Hill, has been selected to construct the Monument. Construction of the said structure commenced about three weeks ago and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

The Project received Executive Council approval in May of 1998. Since then the Government under the auspices of the Chief Minister’s Office and the Anguilla Day Celebrations Committee has provided financial and technical support. The Government just recently, in its 1998 Appropriation Budget, approved an additional EC$50, 000.00 as its contribution towards the construction phrase of the project.

The ANYC acts as the Co-ordinating Agency of the Project in the absence of the Anguilla Celebration Committee. It is the job of the ANYC to co-ordinate all activities surrounding the project in collaboration with the Permanent Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office.

The Council has appointed Mr. Bren Romney, former president 1994 – 1998, to perform the duties of Co-ordinator of the project. Mr. Romney works in collaboration with a number of sub-committees, all of which are appointed by the ANYC, to work on various aspects of the project. Such Sub-Committees include-

Construction Committee

(Special Advisers – Mr. Kevin Gumbs and Public Works Building Engineer)

Selection of Honourees Committee

(Consultant – Mr. Colville Petty, Local Historian)

The General Public can make monetary donations to the project which is being partly funded by the Government of Anguilla. Businesses and citizens alike will be asked to contribute.

Email contact: [email protected]