Olmec, the community investment foundation, is today (8 October 2008) unveiling the first statue of a black woman to be publicly sited in England. The Bronze Woman Monument is being revealed in south London's Stockwell Memorial Garden – in this 200th anniversary year of the end of the transatlantic slave trade – by a group of high achieving British women of Caribbean descent. It will stand as a tribute to the contribution women of diverse backgrounds have made to British society.

The 3m (10ft) high statue is of an unnamed Caribbean woman holding her child high above her head and looking into his eyes – representing her strength, hope and pride. It was inspired by a poem called Bronze Woman, written 30 years ago by Cécile Nobrega. Born in Guyana in 1919, Cécile Nobrega has lived in Stockwell for the last 30 years. It has been her ambition for over a decade to immortalise her poem with a statue celebrating the contribution of Caribbean people to British society – and the strength and achievements of women everywhere.

Olmec helped Cécile realise her ambition by taking on the project to create the Monument. Over the last five years, Olmec helped to raise the required £84,000 funding, recruited a sculptor, explored suitable sites, achieved planning consent for the Stockwell site and arranged the installation and unveiling.

At today's unveiling, a keynote speech will be given by the Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC – the country's first woman Attorney General.

Following this, the Monument will be unveiled by a 'Circle of Women' of Caribbean origin who have made significant contributions to British society.

The Circle comprises: Cécile Nobrega; artist Anissa-Jane; entrepreneur Sonita Alleyne, OBE; Baroness Rosalind Howells of St Davids, OBE; community activist Jessica Huntley; Kanya King, MBE, founder of the MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards; diversity expert Brenda King, MBE; equal rights campaigner Doreen Lawrence, OBE (mother of Stephen); and community campaigner Sybil Phoenix, MBE. It also includes Tanisha Haynes, a pupil from Year 5 at the nearby St Mark's Primary School.

The Bronze Woman Monument was initially designed in 2005 by Ian Walters, sculptor of the Nelson Mandela statue in Parliament Square. When Walters died in 2006, Olmec searched for a new sculptor to take the work forward.

Olmec selected Aleix Barbat, a final year student at Heatherley's School of Fine Art – London's oldest independent art school. Barbat had just won the Tiranti Prize from the Society of Portrait Sculptors.

Tanzeem Ahmed, Director of Olmec, comments: "Cécile Nobrega inspired us all with her dedication to create a lasting celebration of social diversity, and I'm proud to have helped bring the Bronze Woman to Stockwell. The Monument is many things – the first in England dedicated to black women; a tribute to the diverse communities that make up British society; and a symbol of the potential of women everywhere. It's also proof that people with courage and determination can achieve their dreams and inspire others to do the same. It's been a privilege to have helped to bring the Monument into being."

In addition to being the 200th anniversary of the end of the transatlantic slave trade, 2008 is the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush ship carrying the first large group of West Indian immigrants into Britain – and heralding the development of a multicultural society. October is also Black History Month.

Following the statue's unveiling, Olmec will establish the Bronze Woman Legacy Programme. This will underpin an educational initiative for young people and schools in south London, focusing on the arts, heritage, history, literature, conservation and citizenship.

Limited edition 60cm-high bronze reproductions of the Bronze Woman Monument are available for £500 by contacting Brenda Poggio from Olmec on 020 7091 9491 or
brenda.poggio@olmec-ec.org.uk, or by visiting www.bronzewoman.org.uk. All profits will go to the Bronze Woman Legacy Fund.

For press places at the event or further media information and photographs, please contact Tariq Khwaja from TK Associates on 01932 224 212 or
tariq.khwaja@tk-associates.com.

Editors notes:
Olmec is a community investment foundation dedicated to working with communities to facilitate neighbourhood regeneration. For more on Olmec see www.olmec-ec.org.uk.
For more on the Bronze Woman Monument project see www.bronzewoman.org.uk

The Bronze Woman Monument has received funding from Capital Community Foundation, the European Regional Development Fund, the Linbury Trust and Transport for London. It has been supported by the Stockwell Partnership.

For more information click the links below.

The Guardian, 6 February 2008
BBC London, 14 February 2008
Evening Standard, 5 February 2008
The Voice, 8 February 2008