A moving memorial quilt created by the Bristol Star Stitchers at the Vassall Community Hub will be displayed at Bristol Cathedral before travelling to London to join the national Grenfell Memorial Quilt project.
The 12ft x 12ft textile panel has been created by the Bristol Star Stitchers, a community group that came together in response to a national call from Grenfell survivors and bereaved families. The project honours the 72 people who lost their lives, as well as those who survived, were injured or lost their homes, while helping to ensure their stories continue to be remembered nearly ten years on.
The Bristol panel tells a powerful story through textile art. It features an embroidered star for each of the 72 people who died, stitched with their name and age, with families and couples placed close together. The stars are set against a night sky, reflecting the time of the disaster, with Grenfell Tower standing at the centre of the piece. Flowers and foliage rising from the bottom of the panel represent hope and new life after the disaster. Many of the flowers have special significance, including poppies and forget-me-nots as symbols of remembrance.
The group welcomed anyone who wanted to get involved, regardless of sewing experience.
One of the Bristol Star Stitchers, Fiona McCloskey, said:
“We invited anyone who was interested to join us, even if they had never threaded a needle before. We have used recycled materials, gathering fabric from charity shops and other sources. To start with we met in our homes but as the quilt grew in size, we had to find a much bigger space, and we moved to the Vassall Community Hub in Fishponds. They have been very supportive of our project and let us use their large meeting room.”
More than 30 people contributed their time, skills and creativity to complete the panel.
The quilt will be displayed at Bristol Cathedral before joining dozens of other panels from across the UK in London as part of the national Grenfell Memorial Quilt project. The original vision was for the quilts to be displayed together on Grenfell Tower to mark the 10th anniversary of the disaster in June 2027. With the tower now being dismantled, organisers are exploring alternative ways to bring the collection together.
At Bristol Charities, we’re proud that the Vassall Community Hub could support this important community project. It is a powerful reminder of how community spaces can help bring people together – whether to create, remember, learn from one another or contribute to something much bigger than themselves.
If you have the opportunity, we’d encourage you to visit Bristol Cathedral to see this moving tribute before it continues its journey to London. The quilt will be on display from the afternoon of Monday 17 August until Friday 18 September, during the Cathedral’s public opening hours:
- Monday to Saturday: 10:00am-4:00pm
- Sunday: 11:30am-3:00pm
