Memorial for Shetland seafarers receives £1,000 funding boost

The memorial would be sited near the Shetland Museum and Archives. 

Plans for a memorial to Shetland seafarers have received a £1,000 funding boost.

The Shetland Seafarers Association’s (SSA) project won support from Lerwick Community Council at its latest meeting last night (Monday). 

The SSA had already raised more than £8,300 for the memorial, which has planning permission to be sited in front of the Shetland Museum and Archives. 

“Once completed, the memorial will be in a prominent place to remember all of the Shetland seafarers who went away to sea, but didn’t come back, be it war, accident or illness,” the SSA’s funding application said. 

Councillors agreed the funding request. 

Gary Robinson described it as a “really worthwhile” project, and said he was happy to second the motion, proposed by Karen Fraser.

The memorial would be a three sided column with a stainless steel Merchant Navy badge and a number of engraved messages affixed.

Total costs for the project are estimated at a little over 14,000.