Children who were present at the Manchester Arena attack have helped to create a bee-shaped garden in memory of the victims.
The floral tribute, in Hyde Park, Tameside, was planted with the help of some of those who attended the Ariana Grande concert, along with veterans and local guide groups.
The memorial will act as a permanent mark of remembrance to those affected by the events in May 2017.
Paul Hett, whose son Martyn was one of the victims of the attack, has also provided a plaque for the garden.
The project began in the summer of 2017 when the Tameside Armed Forces Community (TASC) received funding from the We Love Manchester Foundation.
TASC, a not-for-profit organisation that supports veterans, said the planting of the garden was therapeutic for those involved in the Manchester Arena attack.
A spokesperson for TASC said: “Hopefully it’s given them something positive out of the situation, as many of them are still having counselling and I think people forget that.
“We focused very readily on the victims and some of the damage that has been done in terms of going into similar environments is irreparable really.
“The bee is representative of solidarity and resilience and we thought that was important, as they are skills we look for in our armed forces and it was a very prominent symbol after the attack.”
The steel frame of the bee was donated by a local company, with the gaps in the frame filled with over 1,000 plants to resemble the distinctive ‘worker bee’ symbol.
Becky Slate, co-owner of DB Garden Nurseries, who supplied the plants, said the project suffered problems due to the abnormal weather.
She said: “We originally wanted to plant them in March but the ‘Beast from the East’ delayed it by about four weeks. That did present challenges but we were determined to see it through.
“It has been a really positive community project and the willingness for everyone to get involved has been fantastic. Everybody that has been involved in it has been really keen to help and from that point of view it’s been a real pleasure.
“It’s there to show we stand with the victims and we support them, but also giving them a positive thing to be involved with on a practical level.”
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