A YEAR seven pupil met Prince William after winning a national competition to inspire a new national memorial to submariners.

Ulverston Victoria High School pupil Heather Dent attended a presentation with Prince William on Wednesday at the National Memorial Arboretum after winning a national competition.

The Submariner Memorial Appeal is a registered charity set up to create a fitting memorial to submariners who have lost their lives in the service and to the sacrifice of their families.

In 2020, the charity launched a competition to design a fitting monument which commemorates the sacrifice of all those who have died whilst in the submarine service and their families.

The competition’s three categories; under 11s, 11-18s and over 18s were open to members of the public of all ages, including nearly 15,000 Sea Cadets from over 400 units around the country.

The prizes were £100 for the category winners and £1,000 for the overall winner, runners up received £50 and a number of entries were awarded Highly Commended certificates. 

Ulverstonian Heather, whose brother is a serving submariner, won the under-11 category winner, while Zoe Perowne, from Newcastle, won the 11-18 category.

Her grandfather is a retired submariner and Zoe is a Sea Cadet at TS Dauntless in Gosforth.

The Groves family were announced as the overall winners of the competition and saw their design translate into a memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum which was unveiled this week.

The Duke of Cambridge paid tribute to the 'continued resilience' of the Royal Navy's submariners and their families as he unveiled a new memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum on Wednesday.

The monument, situated in Alrewas, Staffordshire, was created by sculptor Paul Day and Prince William said he had ‘created a truly fitting memorial to those lost, and sadly, to those who may give their lives in years to come’.

During his visit, the duke met with submariners, veterans and some of their families, including of Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux, who was shot dead on HMS Astute after it docked in Southampton in April 2011.