A trans memorial tree in Manchester's Sackville Gardens has been left 'irreparably damaged' after going up in flames during pride celebrations. The National Trans Memorial, which is the first of its kind in the UK, caught fire on Sunday night (August 29) as revellers enjoyed the third night of pride.
The cause of the fire is not known, but National Transgender Charity Sparkle say it may have been caused by a lit cigarette that was left by the tree on Sunday evening. Pictures of the aftermath show the charred tree, with heaps of ash on the ground, which has since been blocked off with metal barriers.
The Sycamore tree, which was unveiled eight years ago, had been specially carved to transform it into the cheshired memorial and is decorated with plaques, naming trans people who have passed away as a place for them to be remembered. Following the blaze, a group of charity volunteers have spent hours clearing out the burned element of the tree and adorning it with coloured flowers, with 'costly' regeneration now needed to get it back into shape.
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In a statement, Sparkle said it was 'saddened' by the news, that has left the tree 'irreparably damaged' and structurally unsound. Their post added: "This means that those wishing to pay their respects to deceased trans relatives and friends this evening during tonight's Vigil will not be able to do it next to the memorial. Representatives from the Charity will be by the memorial to protect attendees.
"Sparkle will be working with Manchester Pride to ascertain the circumstances behind the damage to the memorial, and exploring how it can be replaced by a lasting and resilient monument that reflects the rich diversity of the trans, non-binary and gender expansive communities."
Jay Crawford, charity events organiser at Sparkle was at the gardens ahead of the candlelit vigil on Monday evening (August 29). He told the M.E.N: "As far as we are aware, there was an ignition last night which was witnessed in the park. We were notified later and we think it may have come from a cigarette that has been left against the tree and has gone into a gap and bellowed out from the middle.
"The National Trans Memorial has been here for a number of years and is to commemorate those we have lost. We have a vigil here every year in November, at the end of Trans Awareness Week. This is the staple of our community and is the only one of its kind in the country.
"We look after it a couple of times a year and work with the Friends of Sackville Gardens. It is really sad to see it wobbling, unfortunately.
"It was awful when someone phoned me and told me they needed to speak with me about the memorial. Everything runs through your head, I didn't expect it to be on fire.
"It was put out as quickly as it could be under the circumstances, but there is significant damage, it's absolutely galling. I have probably spent 200 hours looking after this tree over the last eight years."
Jay added a group of volunteers have been working to pull the ash out of the tree throughout Monday and clean the tree and fill it up with foliage. He said the regeneration will be 'costly' but will be carried out with community involvement over the coming weeks and months.
Thousands have descended on Manchester's Gay Village over the four-day long pride celebrations. Sackville Gardens was also host to the Alan Turing stage, which was graced with musical stars and drag acts across the weekend, and the candlelit vigil on Monday evening.
A spokesperson from Manchester Pride said: "The Candlelit Vigil is an opportunity for everyone across the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ communities to come together and remember those who are no longer with us. We were saddened to hear of the damage to the National Trans Memorial and that this meant those who have suffered the loss of trans friends and relatives were not able to participate fully.
"We stand with our trans family and we are working with Sparkle to find a suitable and resilient replacement to ensure that a long-lasting legacy is created in time for the next vigil to honour those who have been lost."
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