A MEMORIAL to the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack, including two women from Oldham, officially opens today, Wednesday.
Lisa Lees, 43, from Royton, was waiting near to the venue's exit doors to collect her daughter, India, at the end of the Ariana Grande concert on the evening of May 22, 2017 when a suicide bomb was detonated.
She was among the victims along with her friend Alison Howe, 44, whose daughter, Darcie, attended the concert with India Lees.
Mrs Howe, also from Royton, also suffered unsurvivable injuries as she fell to the floor next to Mrs Lees.
Lisa Lees
Alison Howe
Hundreds of people were injured alongside those who died, who included six children under 16, the youngest aged just eight, in the blast.
The Glade of Light memorial is a white marble "halo" bearing the names of those killed.
Families of those who lost loved ones have been able to make personalised memory capsules, containing mementos and messages, which are embedded inside the halo.
They have also been given the opportunity to visit privately before the memorial opens.
The Glade of Light memorial (Picture: Mark Waugh/Manchester City Council/PA Wire)
The Glade of Light memorial (Picture: Mark Waugh/Manchester City Council/PA Wire)
The Glade of Light memorial (Picture: Mark Waugh/Manchester City Council/PA Wire)
The Glade of Light memorial (Picture: Mark Waugh/Manchester City Council/PA Wire)
The tribute is conceived as a living memorial – a peaceful garden space for remembrance and reflection, featuring plants which grow naturally in the UK countryside and have been selected to provide year-round colour and echo the changing seasons.
Around the anniversary every year, the white flowers of a hawthorn tree planted at its centre will bloom.
Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig said: "We will never forget those whose lives were lost on May 22, 2017.
"They already had a permanent place in the hearts of Manchester people. Now they have a lasting memorial in the heart of our city.
"The Glade of Light is a beautiful tribute to them and somewhere which will also have profound meaning for everyone affected by the attack.
"We hope the memorial site will be a place of peace and comfort, standing as a reminder that love is stronger than hate."
Fences around the site, where work began in March last year, will be taken down for the public to be able to visit the memorial on Wednesday.
An official opening event is planned for spring 2022, ahead of the fifth anniversary of the attack.
The memorial is located between Manchester Cathedral and Chetham's School of Music, at the foot of Fennel Street where it meets Victoria Street.
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