Celebrating a decade of the Mary Seacole statue

A special ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the unveiling of a statue dedicated to Jamaican nurse Mary Seacole has been held in the gardens of St Thomas’ Hospital.

The event, which included the laying of wreaths in Mary Seacole’s honour, was attended by staff from Guy’s and St Thomas’, the statue’s sculptor Martin Jennings and representatives from politics, nursing and the armed forces.

The impressive 16-foot monument is believed to be the first in the UK recognising a named black woman. It was officially unveiled by Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE on 30 June 2016, after 12 years of campaigning and fundraising by the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal.

Mary Seacole is best known for her role as a nurse in the Crimean War, where she set up a ‘British hotel’ to help wounded servicemen on the battlefield. She was posthumously awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit, and in 2004 she was voted the greatest black Briton.

Mary Seacole Trust Chair, Dr Felicia Kwaku OBE, said: “This is a very special anniversary, not just for the Mary Seacole Trust, but for all those who supported 12 years of fundraising to make the statue a reality in 2016. We could not have known then that Mary would almost immediately become an important London landmark, and that after a century of being lost to history, she is now firmly part of London’s cultural life, visited by tourists from Britain and all over the world.

“As well as supporting the statue, the Mary Seacole Trust is proud of what we continue to achieve in terms of promoting Mary’s legacy of courage, equality, entrepreneurship and humanity. We look forward to continuing this work far beyond the next ten years.”

Professor Avey Bhatia, Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “Mary Seacole was an incredible pioneer, and she continues to be an inspiration for so many of our nursing and midwifery staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ today.

“Her statue at St Thomas’ Hospital is a constant reminder of the importance of care and compassion, and our wonderfully diverse, inclusive and ambitious staff, of whom I am very proud.”

Dame Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said at the event: “Mary Seacole’s memory endures, and she continues to inspire.” 

Dame Amanda described looking out of her office window, overlooking the statue, every day, and always seeing people there. She stressed that the statue is representative of the diverse NHS workforce, “without whom the NHS would not exist”.

The statue was funded by donations including a contribution by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne from LIBOR banking fines.