2026, WHAT A YEAR SO FAR!
Amazing that August is upon us already, and looking back at what has already been an extraordinary year for Standing with Giants.
From Portsmouth to Buckingham Palace, Ramsgate to the Netherlands, Scotland to Normandy, our Giants have continued to travel, tell stories and bring remembrance to communities across the UK and Europe.
Behind every installation are months of preparation, research, design, fabrication and planning, together with an incredible amount of hard work from our volunteers, supporters, and host sites.
And we're only in August!
2026 SO FAR, IN NUMBERS
1,476 servicemen represented at the British Normandy Memorial
110,849 handmade poppies donated for For Your Tomorrow
80,000+ visitors to For Your Tomorrow at Fort Nelson
338 silhouettes for Ramsgate Remembers
3rd YEAR of For Your Tomorrow at the British Normandy Memorial
4 LORRIES transporting the Giants to Normandy
18 STILLAGES carrying figures, equipment and poppies
2 PERMANENT LEGACIES created in Ramsgate and Castricum, the Netherlands
COUNTLESS HOURS given by our incredible volunteers
JANUARY: FORT NELSON
We began 2026 with For Your Tomorrow, The People's Tribute continuing its incredibly successful stay at the Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson.
The response to the installation had been phenomenal. More than 60,000 tickets were initially released and quickly booked, leading to the exhibition being extended and a further 20,000 tickets being made available. Thousands of people walked amongst the figures, including veterans and their families, and the installation attracted significant media attention. It was an incredible way to begin another year of remembrance.
Meanwhile, back at our Oxfordshire Hub, preparations were already underway for what we knew was going to be a very busy 2026.
Celebration of Freedom was relocated from Chatham Historic Dockyard to Portsmouth Historic Quarter in January 2026, where it remained on display until June 2026, standing alongside the iconic HMS Victory in one of Britain’s most historic naval settings.
FEBRUARY: NORMANDY CONFIRMED
February brought the wonderful news that our flagship For Your Tomorrow installation would return to the British Normandy Memorial for a third consecutive year.
Work was already underway creating new figures that would allow us to tell even more of the stories behind D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. These included Beach Masters, Dog Handlers, Royal Navy Officers, Tank Crew, Merchant Navy personnel, Royal Engineers, Commando Frogmen, RAMC personnel,stretcher bearers
At the same time, something rather extraordinary was happening across the country. Thousands of people had picked up their knitting needles and crochet hooks to support our poppy appeal.
MARCH: PREPARING FOR NORMANDY
March was all about preparation.
Our volunteers were busy at the Hub repairing, painting and preparing thousands of silhouettes, equipment and stillages ready for the journey to Normandy.
Poppies continued arriving from individuals, groups and Women's Institutes across the country. By the time they were counted, an astonishing 110,849 handmade poppies had been donated. Every single one represented someone's time, care and desire to be part of this act of remembrance.
We were also delighted to announce that following Normandy, For Your Tomorrow would return to the UK, with Waddesdon Manor confirmed as its autumn home.
APRIL: THE GIANTS RETURN TO NORMANDY
On 10 April, our 18 steel stillages left Waddesdon Manor following a very special Bon Voyage event.
Four 40ft articulated lorries transported the installation south, accompanied by an incredible motorcycle escort, once again arranged by Alan Holland from the Harley Davidson Owners club giving the Giants a truly memorable send-off as they began their journey to Normandy. Our team then travelled to Ver-sur-Mer, where nearly two weeks of hard work began. By 25 April, For Your Tomorrow was once again standing in the fields surrounding the British Normandy Memorial, overlooking Gold Beach.
At its heart are 1,476 servicemen, each representing a life lost under British command on D-Day. Alongside them stand figures representing the French Resistance and Sisters Mollie Evershed and Dorothy Field, the two women commemorated on the British Normandy Memorial.
Our new figures for 2026 allowed us to tell even more individual stories, while the extraordinary handmade poppies created another powerful element of remembrance across the landscape.
After months of work at the Hub, seeing everything finally come together in Normandy was an incredibly proud moment for the whole Standing with Giants team.
We want to say a huge thank you to Celtic International Freight, who got in touch following our interview on the BBC Breakfast sofa, when we appealed for hauliers to work with us in transporting our For Your Tomorrow installation between Waddesdon and Normandy.
Lee, Leanne and their fantastic family run business quickly became far more than simply one of our transport partners. They genuinely embraced what Standing with Giants is all about, their enthusiasm has been incredible. They’ve even had one of their lorries specially sign-written with Standing with Giants, which means an enormous amount to us.
This September, Celtic International Freight will once again work alongside us to transport the Giants home from Normandy to Waddesdon.
BRINGING THE STORIES BEHIND THE GIANTS TO LIFE
At the heart of every installation are the people, stories and history behind the figures, and this year we have taken another important step in helping visitors discover those stories.
One of our volunteers, Roy Martin, over the past 18 months has lead our dedicated research volunteer team, who work quietly behind the scenes and have researched the people, services and stories represented within our For Your Tomorrow installation.
Roy and the team have researched and created eight short educational films covering the different services and roles involved in the Normandy campaign.
We were incredibly fortunate to have the films narrated by Nicholas Witchell, a friend and colleague of Standing with Giants and Secretary and Trustee of the Normandy Memorial Trust. For the first time this year, visitors to For Your Tomorrow at the British Normandy Memorial can scan QR codes positioned at the entrance to the installation and watch these films on their phones as they walk amongst the figures. It means that while visitors see the 1,476 servicemen, French Resistance figures and the many additional characters represented within the installation, they can also discover more about who these people were, what they did and the part they played in the Normandy campaign.
For us, this is an important part of how Standing with Giants continues to develop. The silhouettes may be what first captures people's attention, but it is the stories behind them that we want people to also take away, share and remember. A huge thank you to Roy and every member of our research team for the countless hours of research, care and dedication that have gone into this project and continue to go into the stories behind our Giants.
Our new figures for 2026 allowed us to tell even more individual stories, while the extraordinary handmade poppies created another powerful element of remembrance across the landscape. After months of work at the Hub, seeing everything finally come together in Normandy was an incredibly proud moment for the whole Standing with Giants team.
MAY: RAMSGATE, A PERMANENT LEGACY AND BUCKINGHAM PALACE
While For Your Tomorrow welcomed visitors in Normandy, another major Standing with Giants installation appeared at Ramsgate Historic Royal Harbour working alongside Ramsgate Town Council and . The Ramsgate Little Ships - Operation Dynamo Team. 338: Ramsgate Remembers brought 338 life-sized silhouettes to the harbour, with each figure representing 1,000 of the 338,226 British and Allied servicemen rescued during Operation Dynamo.
Alongside the temporary installation, we were incredibly proud to be commissioned by the Royal Naval Association and The Ramsgate Soceity seven additional Standing with Giants silhouettes for permanent display in Ramsgate, joining the existing Tommy silhouette. The permanent figures help tell the wider story of Ramsgate during the 1940s, representing the RNLI, a civilian skipper, evacuees, the Women's Voluntary Service and a naval skipper, recognising the resilience of the local community and the vital role the town played during the war.
Long after the main installation has left, these figures will remain as a lasting legacy, continuing to tell Ramsgate's remarkable story for generations to come.
Dancing with Giants, a fantastic tea dance organised by volunteer Bobbie Mayoh and her amazing jiving community in Ramsgate . ❤️💃🕺 The event brought everyone together for an afternoon of dancing, music and fun, with all profits from the event generously donated to Standing with Giants. A huge thank you to Bobbie and everyone involved for supporting us in such a brilliant way.
May also brought a particularly special moment for Standing with Giants, when our figures were displayed in the gardens of Buckingham Palace for The Not Forgotten’s annual Garden Party, before travelling to the beautiful grounds of Dumfries House in Scotland. Seeing our Giants standing in two such remarkable and prestigious settings was an incredibly proud and memorable moment for everyone at Standing with Giants.
Our founders, Dan and Janette Barton, along with Standing with Giants volunteers Denise Fitzgerald, Terry Trigg and Julia Calder, and Leo, Julia’s assistance dog, were honoured to attend. They had the privilege of meeting HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, and speaking with her about Standing with Giants and our work.
Seeing our Giants standing within the grounds of Buckingham Palace, surrounded by veterans and members of the Armed Forces community, was incredibly special. Having the opportunity to share our story and the work of our charity with The Princess Royal made it an immensely proud day for us all.
JUNE: D-DAY IN NORMANDY AND A PERMANENT MEMORIAL IN THE NETHERLANDS
June is always an incredibly important and emotional month for Standing with Giants. Dan and Janette travelled to Normandy for the 82nd anniversary commemorations of D-Day, joining veterans, families and visitors from around the world in remembering those who served and sacrificed during the Normandy campaign.
On 6 June, For Your Tomorrow stood overlooking Gold Beach as people gathered at the British Normandy Memorial to commemorate the 82nd anniversary. For Dan and Janette, being there amongst the Giants during the commemorations, meeting visitors and seeing people taking time to reflect amongst the 1,476 figures was particularly poignant.
Back in the UK, 338: Ramsgate Remembers continued around Ramsgate Historic Royal Harbour throughout June, providing a particularly poignant backdrop to the town's Armed Forces Day commemorations.
Our work also travelled to the Netherlands, where another significant milestone was reached. In Castricum, a permanent Standing with Giants tribute was unveiled, commemorating the seven-man crew of Lancaster ED877 AJ-A, known as the Dinghy Young crew. The installation marks our first permanent Standing with Giants tribute in the Netherlands, ensuring their story and sacrifice will continue to be remembered for generations to come.
JULY: REMEMBERING THE ANIMALS OF WAR
In July, our giants traveled north to Wellington Square in Ayr, where our Remembering the Animals of War installation joined South Ayrshire’s Field of Heroes two-week event, marking the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. Alongside our military figures stood new silhouettes representing some of the millions of animals who served alongside people during conflict; including horses, mules and donkeys, dogs and carrier pigeons. A special thank you must go to our Scottish Ambassador, Terry Wright, affectionately known to us all as Scottish Terry, whose continued support, enthusiasm and hard work representing Standing with Giants in Scotland means a great deal to us.
AUGUST: VJ DAY AND LOOKING AHEAD
On 15th August 1945 – VJ Day marked the end of the Second World War. A moment of liberation and peace and joy around the world. ‘The Ribbon Boy’ was created by Standing with Giants in remembrance of the many people held as prisoners during this time. It was inspired by a real ribbon drift marker dropped by an American aircraft over Stanley internment Camp, Hong Kong, in the final days of the war. Inside was a note announcing imminent aid and liberation, a moment of pure hope after years of hardship.
Dan Barton, was recently gifted the original ribbon by his father, who was interned with his family at Stanley Internment Camp in Hong Kong in 1942, when he was just three years old., and where the drift marker fell from the sky. Deeply moved, Dan and our team created this piece to remind us all to cherish the freedom we enjoy today.
Ribbon Boy has been displayed at St Paul's Cathedral Norwich Cathedral the The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Buckingham Palace, Behind the scenes, however, there is certainly no slowing down. Preparations are already underway for the enormous task of returning to Normandy in September to carefully dismantle For Your Tomorrow, pack the figures and poppies and bring everything home.
And the Giants' journey isn't finished yet.
NEXT STOP, WADDESDON MANOR
Following the dismantle in Normandy, the Giants will return across the Channel before preparations begin for their next major installation.
From 21 October to 29 November 2026, For Your Tomorrow will stand within the beautiful grounds of Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire.
For many people, this will be their first opportunity in the UK to experience the updated 2026 installation, including the new figures created this year and the extraordinary handmade poppies that travelled with us to Normandy. Installation begins in October, and once again volunteers will work alongside our core Standing with Giants team to transform another landscape into a powerful place of remembrance.
OUR VOLUNTEERS, THE HEART OF STANDING WITH GIANTS
None of what Standing with Giants achieves would be possible without our incredible core team of volunteers. Throughout the year, they support every part of our work, from preparing, repairing and installing silhouettes in all weathers, to packing orders, welcoming visitors, sharing stories with the public and keeping our workshop and Hub running smoothly. Others work quietly behind the scenes as part of our research team, helping us ensure that the stories we tell are remembered with care and accuracy. Their time, skills, commitment and care can be felt in every installation and every moment of remembrance we help to create.
We simply couldn't do what we do without them.
We are also incredibly grateful to the teams at each of our host sites, who work closely with us before, during and after every display. Throughout 2026, we have strengthened existing relationships and built many new ones. A huge thank you also goes to the many host site volunteers who roll up their sleeves and work alongside us during installations and dismantles. Whether it's sunshine, rain, wind or mud, and quite often all four on the same day, their support makes an enormous difference.
To every person who gives their time to Standing with Giants, thank you. You are very much part of our story. None of this happens without support. Whether you've volunteered with us, knitted or crocheted a poppy, visited an installation, bought a miniature, donated, shared one of our posts, told somebody about our work or simply stood amongst our Giants and remembered, you are part of what we do.
As Standing with Giants continues to grow, so does our ambition to tell more stories, reach more communities and ensure that remembrance continues for future generations. If you are passionate about remembering those who fought for our freedom, please consider supporting Standing with Giants.
Together, we can keep their stories standing.
Thank you for standing with us.
Standing with Giants