We are delighted that HRH Prince Harry will be the guest of honour on 4th August 2014 at the ceremony to mark the opening of the First World War centenary memorial arch in Folkestone. Prince Harry will be invited to perform the official opening of the arch, which stands over the route taken by millions of service personnel on their journey to the war. The Arch has been built in memory of their sacrifices and in recognition of the role played by Folkestone in the war effort as the main port of embarkation to and from the western front.
The opening of the Memorial Arch is also the culmination of seven years of work by the Folkestone 'Step Short' project. 'Step Short' was set up by members of the local community and it has been my privilege to serve as the Chairman of the Step Short from the start.
The name, 'Step Short' comes from the command given to soldiers at they marched down the Road of Remembrance, a short distance from the site of the memorial arch, to the ships in the harbour waiting to take them to France. The soldiers were ordered to 'step short' because of the steep slope of the road.
On behalf of Step Short I would like to thank Shepway District Council and Kent County Council who have given great support to the project as a whole, and to the funding for the construction of the Arch. We would also like to thank the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust for their support, and Lend Lease, the international property company who have donated their services free of charge to project manage the construction of the Arch. We are also grateful for the support from the patrons of the Step Short project; the Earl of Radnor, Admiral the Lord Boyce, and Sir Roger De Haan.
Finally, I would like to thank my fellow Directors of Step Short, Cllr Ann Berry, Paul Emden, Geoff Tolson and Eamonn Rooney, without whose tireless efforts this project would not have been possible.
Damian Collins MP
Chairman, Step Short