Latest news

RAMSGATE

The Standing with Giants 338: Ramsgate Remembers installation is now on display around Ramsgate Historic Royal Harbour until 28th June.️

A 4 day event  - Operation Dynamo: The Return to Ramsgate 2026 is a wonderful 4 day opportunity to see the harbour come alive in remembrance and reflection, while paying tribute to the courage and sacrifice connected to Operation Dynamo. ️

Standing with Giants are incredibly proud to be displaying the 338: Ramsgate Remembers installation around the historic Royal Harbour as part of these commemorations.️ until 29 June 2026

14th May  saw new silhouettes created by Standing with Giants installed beside the existing SWG Tommy soldier at the Operation Dynamo Memorial in Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour.

The new figures include an RNLI lifeboatman, civilian skipper and Royal Navy officer representing those who crossed to Dunkirk, alongside a Women’s Voluntary Service lady and three evacuee children symbolising the thousands of children relocated from Ramsgate during WWII.

The community group behind Ramsgate Little Ships - Operation Dynamo including the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (official) Ramsgate Tunnels Royal Naval Association Queens Head the Port of Ramsgate, Royal Temple Yacht Club Ramsgate ,Ramsgate Town Council, Visit Ramsgate approached Standing with Giants last year to help bring the project to life.

With thanks to Pioneer Sheet Metal for their contribution in manufacturing the figures. Funded by the Royal Naval Association, The Ramsgate Society Ramsgate Tunnels and Kevin and Jill Finn from the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, with installation support from Thanet District Council and Port of Ramsgate staff

Ramsgate Historic Royal Harbour has become a place of remembrance, reflection and quiet emotion as thousands gathered for “Operation Dynamo: The Return to Ramsgate. From the arrival of 25of the Little Ships to the moving ceremonies, music, living history, veterans, families and visitors lining the harbour walls, Ramsgate once again honoured its remarkable connection to Operation Dynamo with dignity and pride.

Standing with Giants are incredibly proud to have our “338: Ramsgate Remembers” installation forming part of these commemorations around the harbour. Each of the 338 silhouettes represented 1,000 of the 338,000 Allied troops rescued from Dunkirk in 1940, standing silently around the very harbour that became such an important lifeline during those desperate days . Visitors can stop beside the silhouettes to reflect, take photographs, read the stories and simply pause for a moment. Many shared personal family connections, memories and emotions with us, proving once again how deeply these commemorations continue to resonate generations later.

As darkness fell during some of the events, the silhouettes took on an even more poignant presence around the harbour, standing quietly against the backdrop of the Little Ships and historic waterfront. There was a real sense throughout the weekend that history was not simply being remembered, but genuinely felt.

For Standing with Giants, it has been an honour to play a part in helping tell Ramsgate’s extraordinary wartime story. Events like this are so important, not only to remember the courage and sacrifice of those involved in Operation Dynamo, but also to help future generations understand the resilience, unity and humanity shown during one of Britain’s most defining moments.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

It’s not every day you receive an invitation to Buckingham Palace.

May 19th was truly an unforgettable day as guests of The Not Forgotten Garden Party, and a real honour to display 20 of our Giants on the Palace lawn, alongside poppies lovingly made by members of the Women’s Institute and individuals who supported our recent appeal.

To also be formally introduced to Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal made the occasion even more special.

We bumped into a few familiar faces, met some wonderful new ones, and even a few celebrities along the way, all while feeling incredibly proud to represent Standing with Giants and our amazing volunteers at such a prestigious and meaningful event.

LATEST POPPY NEWS!

A HUGE THANK YOU

We asked… and you delivered beyond anything we could have imagined.

To the The WI (National Federation of Women's Institutes) and every single individual who picked up their needles, hooks and wool for us… thank you. ️

The response has been nothing short of incredible… 110,849 poppies. One hundred and ten thousand, eight hundred and forty-nine. Every day, parcels were unpacked and added to a growing pile, constantly mixed and moved as more and more kept arriving.

They have travelled with our Giants to Normandy, where they are currently on display, and will also be part of the installation later this year at Waddesdon Manor. We did reach out to TV and wider media to share this incredible achievement, but with bigger global stories dominating, it wasn’t picked up before our departure to Normandy… but honestly, this speaks louder than any headline ever could.

Due to the sheer number of parcels received, we’re unable to reply individually, but please do share our thanks with your WI groups and colleagues. Every single poppy has been gratefully received and truly appreciated. We also now have enough poppies to restore our crates for the next few years, and even support another project already in development.

We’re currently in Normandy and the poppies are looking incredible. We’ll be sharing lots of photos so you can see your amazing work in place. From all of us at Standing with Giants… this is your contribution, and we are proud to carry it with us.

SWG volunteer Gemma, with the final count of poppies

THE ‘GIANTS’ ARE RETURNING TO NORMANDY 

British Normandy Memorial hosts ‘Standing with Giants’ installation for third consecutive season

Back by popular demand, the silhouettes arrive on Sunday 12 April, with the full installation in place from Saturday 25 April to Saturday 19 September 2026

For Your Tomorrow commemorates the 1,476 lives lost on 6 June 1944 under British command on D-Day. Three years on, this ambitious and captivating project is set to return to the meadow fields of the Memorial. The installation humanises the sheer scale of loss and pays tribute to the names inscribed on the Memorial’s ‘D-Day Wall’. Ever since its inaugural year at the Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer in 2024, hundreds of thousands of people have experienced the power and poignancy of the silhouettes with heads bowed, stood on a hillside overlooking Gold Beach.

In this third consecutive year, new figures will be unveiled among the 1,476. These additions feature Beach Masters, Dog Handlers, Royal Navy Officers, Tank Crew, Merchant Navy and Royal Engineers. Reflecting the wider story of the Normandy Campaign, 40 silhouettes, representing British Commando Frogmen and personnel serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps, will also be included.The project will also features bespoke ‘giants’ to represent the only two women on the Memorial, nurses Sisters Evershed and Field, who died while saving 75 men from a sinking hospital ship; and 50 French resistance fighters, to be placed around the French Memorial.

The return of this unique installation has been made possible thanks to generous sponsorship from the Normandy Memorial Trust’s partners: Airbus UK, BAE Systems, Smurfit Westrock, The Normandy Region and Gold Beach Tourism Office. The work involved in preparing and installing the silhouettes is carried out by a committed and ever-growing team of Standing with Giants volunteers.

Four artic lorries accompanied by a Harley-Davidson crew will depart from Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, on the afternoon of 10 April. Sailing from Portsmouth to Caen the same night. If you would like to join in the ride please register here https://www.trybooking.com/uk/GAXW. The French Harley-Davidson, Caen Chapter Crew will join us, and will assist us to The British Normandy Memorial. the installation will take place from 12 to 24 April, with assistance from British and French volunteer groups.


New!

GeneralLord Richard Dannatt, Chairman of the Normandy Memorial Trust said:

“On behalf of the Normandy Memorial Trust, we are profoundly grateful to our sponsors — Airbus UK, BAE Systems, Smurfit Westrock, The Normandy Region and Gold Beach Tourism Office — for making it possible for the Standing with Giants installation to return to the British Normandy Memorial this April.

This visually powerful and deeply moving display brings home, in the most immediate way, the scale of sacrifice made on D-Day, and reminds us not only of those who fell, but of the lasting effect on the families, friends and communities they left behind.

It is through the generosity of our partners that we are able to continue honouring their memory in such a compelling and dignified way.

We look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to the Memorial for this very special installation.”

Dan Barton, Founder of Standing with Giants charity said:

Standing with Giants feel deeply honoured and humbled to be returning our Giants for a third year to the British Normandy Memorial, this year marking 82 years since D-Day. We invite people to make the pilgrimage to visit this peaceful, tranquil and beautiful place, and stand in quiet remembrance of our D-Day heroes in the Memorial’s meadow above Gold Beach.  The international response to our work continues to humble us, and this year we have introduced eight new figures. These additions bring even more depth to our tribute, so their sacrifice is never forgotten and future generations continue to remember.”

Members of the public can support the Memorial and the Standing with Giants charity by sponsoring a commemorative plaque for £150 in honour of a loved one who fell in any battle or conflict. The plaques will stand in front of the Giants during their summer installation and will then remain at the Memorial for at least five years — a lasting and visible tribute to their sacrifice. More information about the plaques and the British Normandy Memorial (which is free to visit and open year-round) at:  www.britishnormandymemorial.org/plaque/

Bespoke Standing with Giants fundraising merchandise will also be available at the Memorial shop, located in the Winston Churchill Centre for Education and Learning.

Poppy Challenge

In 2024, a national Women’s Institute call-out led by Standing with Giants volunteer and WI member Toni Briggs resulted in an incredible 37,000 handmade poppies being sent to us , forming a key part of our For Your Tomorrow, Normandy D -Day display.

As we prepare for our 2026 displays, we are restoring the plinths around our soldier storage crates , and we would love to invite WI members and individuals to knit or crochet additional poppies to add to the display.

No specific pattern or size required — you’re welcome to knit or crochet in any style you choose. Pins or fasteners not required.

All details to get involved please click here

We are delighted to announce our UK host site for For Your Tomorrow will be National Trust – Waddesdon Manor, displaying in October and November 2026.

Our Celebration of Freedom installation is, currently on display at Portsmouth Historic Quarter

Two powerful installations, one outside Storehouse 9 and one in the Starboard Arena beside HMS Victory.

'Celebration of Freedom' invites quiet reflection on the freedoms we enjoy today set against an iconic Naval landscape.

FREE to view now until 28 May 2026

FREE entry with a Historic Quarter Pass or your Portsmouth Historic Dockyard ticket, just ask at the Visitor Centre. Historic Dockyard from 9 January – May 2026.

Our ‘For Your Tomorrow’ display commemorates the 1,475 lives lost on D-Day, 6 June 1944, under British command. Royal Armouries – Fort Nelson, Portsmouth, was our Autumn/Winter 2025–26 host site, welcoming over 80,000 visitors. The installation remained on display until 25 January 2026, with all visitor slots fully booked within one week.