Portland: Memorial bench to Steve Woodward vandalised

Steve Paul Woodward, a loving dad, brother, son and husband, died aged 32 on February 12 in 2021.

A stone bench was built in his memory in 2022 by Adam Kirby - who works for a building company in Dorchester - and his friend Cameron Rocks following a suggestion from a resident.

Steve was a passionate runner and was known to frequently run the Portland trails and coastal paths; including where the bench is placed. It has since been used by friends and family members as a place to spend time with Steve.

The bench has now been found significantly damaged, with stone strewn about the floor and the sitting area smashed in.

Steve's mother Tracy Gillham is distraught over the damage. She said: "Steve was loved by everybody. He was a mental health nurse who loved his running.

"It is not about me or anybody else. At the end of the day, his thing was running so if anyone wanted to spend some time with Steve that was the place. The bench was for everyone who comes down and wants to spend time with him."

After sending a friend to investigate, Ms Gillham believes that the damage was done deliberately.

The bench is a feature of the coastal path that Steve enjoyed to run on (Image: MuppetTheWonderDog)

"It is still hard. It has been two years and things like this just make you angry. That some spiteful people could do something like that. It has taken all the memories," added Ms Gillham.

"I would like it to be corrected but is it going to happen again? How would like it if it was one of their family."

Steve was known to love running (Image: Family of Steve Paul Woodward)

Ms Gillham added that she had planned to spread his ashes near the bench, but has now decided against it.

Adam Kirby reacted with disbelief to the damage. He said: "That is the memorial to commemorate someone's life, I can't believe someone has done that.

"There is no weather that would take the bench down. It is a slow job building that bench but when it's done it will stand hundreds of years without human tampering.

"I do plan to rebuild it. The materials are collected on site so it is just the labour."

Steve was a member of the Royal Manor of Portland Athletics Club. Fellow member Caron Stevens decided to use fundraise from the London Marathon to raise money for the bench.

A similar bench further down the path built by Mr Kirby over lockdown (Image: MuppetTheWonderDog)

Cameron Rocks (left) and Adam Kirby (right) have built the bench in 2022 (Image: Richard Mulholland)

In 2018 Mr Woodward ran the London Marathon for Rethink Mental Illness.

The family of Steve Woodward would like to pass on their thanks to the community for their messages of support and nice comments.