Lambeth: Cherry Groce memorial set to be unveiled next month

Dorothy ‘Cherry’ Groce was shot by police when they raided her house looking for her son.

Four of her children were at home at the time, while her son was never charged.  Cherry was left paralysed from the waist down. 

Two days of riots ensued as the community protested institutional racism and systemic injustice faced by Black people.  

In 2011, Mrs Groce contracted an infection which led to kidney failure, and she passed away on Easter Sunday.  

It was only in March 2014 that the Met Police apologised for the wrongful shooting – in July of that year an inquest jury concluded that eight police failures had led to Mrs Groce’s death.      

Lambeth Council announced this week that the installation of the Cherry Groce Memorial in Windrush Square is underway and scheduled to be unveiled at the end of April.  

The installation has been organised and funded by the council in partnership with the Groce family and Adjaye Associates.

It has also received significant contributions from both the local business community and the public. 

Her son Lee Lawrence has written about the shooting and the impact of the Met Police’s action on his life, on his mother’s life, and on the whole community. 

Mr Lawrence won the Costa biography award in January this year for the memoir, The Louder I Will Sing. 

He said: “The injustice done to my mother on September 28, 1985, and its aftermath, catalysed our community to act together relentlessly and persistently in the pursuit of justice for more than three decades.  

“Our achievements together in that effort can inspire us to continue to work together to make justice a reality across our society.” 

Sir David Adjaye, the architect who designed the memorial, said: “The construction of this memorial will speak to restorative justice and will symbolise that what matters to the community, matters to London and the whole world.  

“This tragedy went too long in the public realm without acknowledgement and there is now renewed urgency and importance in finally facing this history.” 

Cllr Jack Hopkins, Lambeth Council Leader, said: “We are proud to be working alongside the Groce family and Sir David on this fitting memorial to Cherry Groce, an innocent woman from our borough who experienced terrible suffering as a result of a major injustice. 

“We hail the Groce family for their commitment in getting to the truth of Cherry’s shooting, for their resilience in the face of suffering and for their determination to create a long-lasting tribute to their mum which will make sure this injustice will not be forgotten.” 

The memorial is scheduled to be officially unveiled with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the end of April to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Mrs Groce’s passing.