Remembering the lessons of the Spanish Civil War in Surrey

In April 2025, a memorial was inaugurated at the Surrey UNISON Memorial Garden, at the Surrey County Council Headquarters in Reigate, in honour of all those who fought the rise of fascism in the 1930s Spanish Civil War. The memorial was directly inspired by, and honoured, Felicia Browne — the Surrey artist and first British person to die in the conflict.

The memorial was created with the direct participation of UNISON activists in Surrey. Its design incorporates the unique idea that it should be added to annually, with the direct artistic involvement of young people from the local area. By including other stories, such as those of the Basque child refugees who were looked after in Surrey, we ensure the long-term safeguarding of this historic memory.

The inauguration in 2025 brought together various associations, unions, community groups, and family member groups, many of whom pledged to work collaboratively on this community project.

We are now pleased to announce the next stages in this project:

• An exhibition at the Surrey History Centre throughout July 2026 that explains the history of the International Brigades from a Surrey perspective, including the stories of the Basque child refugees and the heroic role of artist Felicia Browne. This exhibition will be developed with the goal of encouraging the next generation to learn this important history for today.
• The launch of the exhibition will be at the History Centre at 6pm on 1 July 2026 and will feature speeches, music and refreshments.
• Installing the next porthole sculpture on the Solidarity Surrey monument in the UNISON Memorial garden in the autumn of 2026. This addition will be inspired by the Basque children of 1937 and their families.
• Creating a booklet of the history and stories gathered during the process of creating this exhibition. This will serve to aid the preservation of this history and act as a resource to educate people today in the fight against far-right and fascist ideologies.
• Building a community campaign group in the Surrey area around the memory of the International Brigades and the lessons of the Spanish Civil War. This group will continue to share information, make contact with educational institutions and lead cultural actions that share this critical history.

We hope to see many people, including schools, visiting and learning from the exhibition. You can also donate to our project and consider participating; building international solidarity today is the best way we can remember those who struggled in the past against the rise of fascism.

For any enquiries please contact Solidarity Surrey or to donate to Solidarity Surrey use - Account number: 60786264 Sort code: 54-41-5.