“The wall is like a beacon to me. Attracting togetherness.”
About the National Covid Memorial Wall
Created in 2021, the National Covid Memorial Wall in London is a visual representation of the UK's catastrophic loss to Covid-19. It is a unique memorial to those lost from Covid-19 in the UK, having been created by bereaved families for bereaved families.
Although it was never intended to be a lasting installation, when the wall started to fade in Summer 2021, a small group of volunteers, known as ‘The Friends of the Wall’ took over its maintenance, running autonomously and independently to any other organisation from late 2023. The team applied for charitable status, and in June 2025, the National Covid Memorial Wall was recognised as a charity, and is registered with the Charities Commission for England & Wales (registration number 1213668).
In November 2025, the UK Government announced that The National Covid Memorial Wall will be preserved. The government recognises the significance of the Wall and its role in providing a space for reflection, remembrance and grieving. Talking about the recommendations to take forward, the government’s press release states: “Preservation of the National Covid Memorial Wall: Created by the bereaved, for the bereaved, the government will work with The Friends of the Wall and local partners, to preserve the National Covid Memorial Wall as a memorial to the lives lost in the UK to COVID-19.”
The Wall stretches for 500 metres alongside the River Thames, directly opposite the Houses of Parliament. There are more than 250,000 individually hand-painted red hearts, each representing a person who died in the UK with Covid-19 as a direct cause of death.
Many of the hearts on the Wall have been personalised with individual messages written either by the bereaved or by the volunteers / trustees who are there every week, maintaining this unique memorial. The original hearts were drawn with art pens, which have faded with the London weather, so each heart on the entire Wall has been repainted with long-lasting masonry paint by the Friends of the Wall team. They continue to add new hearts for those who are still dying from the Covid-19 virus.
“It’s a place of understanding, where everyone has felt heartache. It also feels like all our loved ones have been laid to rest together. I didn’t have the money for a fancy funeral, and never really had a place for my dad to rest. But with his heart on the wall, it’s a place of remembering for me.”
Meet our Team of Volunteers
The Wall is maintained by a group of bereaved volunteers, known as ‘The Friends of the Wall’. They repaint faded hearts, re-write dedications that are being absorbed into the Wall, remove graffiti, and look after the Wall to ensure that those lost to Covid19 in the UK are remembered as people, not as a statistics.
Additionally, we have arranged various events to remember and commemorate all our loved ones. These include events on the anniversary of the first heart being painted on the Wall on March 29th, a maze of photos displayed outside Parliament to highlight the lack of bereavement support, and ‘Candles at Christmas’ along the Wall, to remember those missing from our celebrations.
“A place of unity. Where losing someone this way has been very isolating for many different reasons, the wall is a reminder we aren’t alone. They had names, families who loved them, stories to tell – and they will never be just a number. The wall reflects that.”
Request a Dedication
The UK has had an immense loss of life, with over 250,000 deaths with Covid-19 as a cause of death recorded on the death certificate (as at December 2025).
If you have lost a loved-one to Covid-19 in the UK, visitors to the Wall are very welcome to add their own dedication. We ask that one heart is taken only, as each heart represents one UK life lost.
If you are unable to write your own dedication, and would like a volunteer to write one on your behalf, please get in touch. The quickest way to request a dedication is by sending us a message through through Facebook or Instagram, or you can also send us an email. We will record the entry, and send you a photo, with the location of the heart, so that you know where to find it should you be able to visit.
Listen to Our Podcasts
The Friends of the Wall have curated a series of podcasts. Our regular volunteer, Lorelei King, talks to those who have been instrumental in the creation of the National Covid Memorial Wall, and to some who are bereaved due to Covid19, to understand the importance of this unique memorial to those living without their loved one.
In our first ever podcast, we talk to Oliver Knowles and James Sadri of Led By Donkeys, the activist group known for holding politicians to account. Before the Friends of the Wall took over the care and maintenance of the Memorial, (registering the Wall as a Charity in June 2025), and repainting the hearts, the Wall was an protest by the bereaved.
In this episode, we continue the story of the history of the National Covid Memorial Wall, and we hear from the some of the volunteers who were at the wall in those first days.
Today's guest is Lynn Jones, MBE, who lost her husband Gareth early in 2021. Lynn is a trustee of The National Covid Memorial Wall charity and one of the regular volunteers at the wall, commuting each week from her home in Stoke-on-Trent.
Our loved ones were as unique as each individual heart that’s painted on the Covid Memorial Wall. Today Charlie Williams talks about his father Rex, whom he lost early in the pandemic. Charlie is the co-founder of The Windrush Movement UK and advocate for the Windrush National Organisation.
In our last episode of series 1, we interview Jo Goodman and Matt Fowler, the founders of the campaign group, Covid Bereaved Families for Justice, that helped secure the UK Covid-19 inquiry.