Veteran suicide memorial to travel to arboretum

A memorial dedicated to military veterans who have lost their lives to suicide will travel from North Yorkshire to the National Memorial Arboretum.

The stone memorial, named the Weary Hero, will be escorted from Leyburn by hundreds of motorbikes to the Arboretum in Staffordshire and has been created by the Elysium Memorial Foundation.

Ed Mackenzie, the co-founder of the foundation, said the bikers would provide a "guard of honour" for the memorial's journey on Friday morning.

The bike escort will leave Leyburn Market Place at 10:00 BST and head down the A1 past Leeming Bar and then Wetherby Services, before travelling south down the M1 to the Arboretum.

Mackenzie, who has served in the Army for more than 30 years and lost his best friend to suicide, said: "I'm hoping because of the overwhelming support for what's happening then every veteran, every armed forces personnel in the country, if not the world, will know what's been achieved here.

"This is for veteran suicide, it's a hot topic mental health but there is no point building a memorial if no one knows anything about it."

The memorial is the first of its kind to be built in the UK that is solely dedicated to veteran suicide and aims to provide a place for contemplation and gathering for those affected by the loss of a friend or loved one.

According to the Ministry of Defence there have been 277 cases of veterans taking their own lives from 2006 - 2025.

The foundation has worked closely with veteran groups and mental health charities to ensure the memorial represents the diverse experiences within the community.

Mackenzie added: "I'm hoping that others who are in the same boat will come down, sit at the memorial and perhaps share stories with like minded people who are in the same position."

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