National Memorial Arboretum takes on new name following planned rebranding

The National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) has taken on a new name as part of a planned rebranding of the 150-acre site. 

It has been renamed the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens, following its full integration into the RBL – its parent charity – and the evolution of the site over the past 25 years.

The name change was announced earlier this year and drew criticism from visitors and veterans alike, prompting a petition signed by 25,000 people.

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The arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, currently has 420 memorials which honour the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces, emergency services and other civilian organisations.

Earlier this month, the Elysium Memorial was unveiled at the site, a first-of-its-kind tribute solely dedicated to veterans and Armed Forces personnel who died by suicide. 

Reflecting what the site offers

Speaking to BFBS Forces News in April, the director of what is now the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens, Philippa Rawlinson, said she and her team questioned whether the name National Memorial Arboretum "sold what we do on site". 

"We have memorials, but they are a vehicle to remembrance," she said. "They are a way for people to stop, to remember, to reflect – and remembrance felt much more active.

She added that the word "gardens" felt "very inclusive" and the decision was made after extensive research and discussion.

"What's important is at the heart, we have a living memorial and remembrance," she continued.

"And [I] really think that the National Remembrance Gardens brings that to life and invites people in, in a way, perhaps [that] our old name that we're moving on from and building on from doesn't."

The change would also simplify the running of the site, with only one board of trustees across both organisations, cutting administrative duplication, lowering costs and allowing for "greater agility in decision-making".

Nation's year-round place to remember 

Supporting the transition, Commander (Ret'd) David Childs CBE said that when he founded the arboretum, his ambition was to create a "living place of remembrance, rooted in trees". 

"Over time, that vision has grown organically, shaped by those who cared for it and by the many communities who found meaning here," he said.

"Today, the site is defined not only by its trees, but by the sculptures, symbolic planting and gardens that together encapsulate the spirit of Remembrance.

"The RBL has provided the care, stewardship and investment needed to help the site flourish and truly become the nation's year‑round place to remember."

Visited by more than 300,000 people each year, including over 26,000 young people on learning visits, the RBL said it will continue to grow, and its vision for investment to enhance the site will be announced later this year.