LAW firm Moore Blatch, based in Southampton, is celebrating its pivotal role in supporting the launch of the Mary Seacole Trust, a new charity established with the aim of promoting the legacy of Crimean War nurse Mary Seacole.

The launch of the trust comes a year after the unveiling of a statue of the famous nurse outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London – the first statue of a named black woman in the UK.

Trevor Sterling, partner at Moore Blatch, is the chair of the trust, and the firm was heavily involved in the statue appeal which campaigned for over 12 years to raise more than £500,000 for the statue.

As well as maintaining the statue, the trust aims to build on Mary Seacole’s legacy through an education programme, raising awareness of her life and work, and a diversity in leadership programme, with particular focus on the NHS.

Trevor said: “Mary Seacole was an incredibly courageous and compassionate woman who overcame a number of barriers to become a heroine of the Crimean War.

"Her legacy has the potential to encourage and inspire people today, particularly those of a black or minority ethnic background. I am incredibly pleased that Moore Blatch will be working in close partnership with the Mary Seacole Trust in order to share this legacy with future generations.”