Law firm Addleshaw Goddard (AG) will tomorrow attend the official opening of the Winston Churchill Centre for Education & Learning at the site of the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-mer, Calvados.

In the presence of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, AG's Senior Partner, Aster Crawshaw, will take part in a special inauguration ceremony on what will be the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The Winston Churchill Centre for Education & Learning aims to educate the public on the key stages of the Normandy Landings and the Battle of Normandy. Built with sustainable and recyclable materials, including photovoltaic panels to help meet the building's energy needs, the glass and timber building structure sits within the site of the British Normandy Memorial.

The British Normandy Memorial, which opened to the public on June 6, 2021, features a series of columns and plaques that list the names of 22,442 individuals under British command who died during the Normandy campaign. The site overlooks Gold Beach, one of the landing sites of the D-Day invasion, providing a direct geographical and historical connection to the events of June 6, 1944.

Since 2017, AG's real estate team has advised the Normandy Memorial Trust on the purchase of plots and the development of the British Normandy Memorial. AG acted as both a legal advisor and a sponsor of the Winston Churchill Centre for Education & Learning.

The AG team was led by Edouard Vitry, a real estate and construction partner at Addleshaw Goddard's Paris office. Edouard will be joined at the inauguration of the Winston Churchill Centre by Aster Crawshaw (Senior Partner, Addleshaw Goddard) and Rémy Blain (head of Addleshaw Goddard's Paris office).

Aster Crawshaw, Senior Partner at Addleshaw Goddard, said:

"We are honoured to have played a role in the funding and development of this fantastic educational facility.

"The Winston Churchill Centre for Learning & Education marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the British Normandy Memorial, preserving the legacy of those who fought for our freedom. The facility will help ensure that future generations never forget the sacrifices that were made by brave men and women during the Second World War."