Peace Walk in north London

Walkers set out from St Mellitus Church pic: Valerie Flessati

To mark the fifth anniversary of her 14-year-old son’s murder, Lorraine Dinnegan dedicated a tree in the Martin Dinnegan Peace Garden, Cornwallis Park, in Islington last Saturday, 23 June.

“This tree represents the peace, safety and community spirit which we want to see growing – in this neighbourhood, in our city, and in the world,” she said.

Catherine West, Leader of Islington Council, and other Islington Councillors joined in the anniversary walk, which started at St Mellitus Peace Garden, Tollington Park N.4. At Wray Crescent Park nearby everyone stopped to remember all young victims of violence, and in Elthorne Park, Bruce Kent described the achievements of Olympic medallist and Nobel Peace Prizewinner, Lord Philip Noel-Baker, in the peace garden named after him.

The walk ended at Holy Trinity Peace Garden, Granville Road, N4. which commemorates local residents killed by a Second World War bomb. The parish priest there, Fr Patrick Henderson, told walkers they were making peace visible by the signs they carried, and by taking a stand against violence at every level from local to international. The walk is one of the “100 Days of Peace” activities taking place around the country, which embraces the Olympics and Paralympics as a period for establishing a truce in the human community.