The results have now been revealed from the Captain Sir Tom Moore Memorial Commission survey which was set up by Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore following the sad passing of Captain Tom earlier this year.
The commission, which is made up of a number of key community leaders from around Keighley, engaged the public with a consultation to gather views to see what type of memorial Keighley residents would like to see in memory of Keighley-born Captain Sir Tom Moore.
It became clear from early meetings of the commission, as well as speaking with the Captain Tom Foundation – which is the family’s official foundation – that both a permanent memorial and legacy project should be considered.
The overwhelming majority of people who responded to the survey, 89 per cent, were in favour of some form of memorial to honour the memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore, with 50 per cent in favour of doing both a permanent and legacy project, 37 per cent just in favour of a permanent memorial and 13 per cent just in favour of doing an annual legacy project.
When it came to asking what type of permanent memorial people would like to see, 47 per cent were in favour of a memorial garden whilst 36 per cent were in favour of a statue. 57 per cent wanted to see the permanent memorial on the old Keighley college/Grammar school site on North Street – the latter of which Captain Tom attended – followed by 19 per cent who wanted to see a permanent memorial in Town Hall Square.
The annual legacy project, which has been warmly received, sees the engineering scholarship receive 47 per cent whilst the STEM project and Armed Forces grant follow on 18 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.
The Captain Sir Tom Moore Memorial Commission met on Tuesday 20 April to discuss the results and discuss a way forward. A decision will now have to be made about what memorial and annual legacy project is taken forward, considering the results of the survey, the cost implications and the viability of the projects. The commission is also very keen that whatever projects are taken ahead have the blessing of Captain Sir Tom Moore’s family as well as the Captain Tom Foundation who have been consulted closely during this process.
Commenting the founder and chair of the Captain Sir Tom Moore Memorial Commission, Robbie Moore MP said: “These results make very interesting reading. I am grateful to everyone who took part. It is clear that Captain Tom holds a dear place in everybody’s heart. People from Keighley are very proud of Captain Tom’s links to the town and I’ve been told by the Captain Tom Foundation that Keighley held a special place in his heart.
“Another key passion of Captain Tom’s was engineering. I am glad to see that this passion is shared with Keighley residents with the engineering scholarship receiving the most votes in the annual legacy project category. I really hope that Captain Tom’s legacy will be cemented for years to come in Keighley with an engineering scholarship to help children from underprivileged backgrounds.”
