Rare John Lennon 12 inch vinyl goes on display at Liverpool's Strawberry Field

A rare limited edition 12" record of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" and "Remember Love" has been unveiled at the iconic Strawberry Field.

The acetate is one of only 50 in the world and will go on display after being donated by Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon.

Originally released on 4 July 1969, the double-sided 12" acetates were hand-cut on the lathe at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, synonymous with the legendary work of The Beatles.

Produced and executive produced by Sean and Yoko Ono Lennon, each rare record is stickered, uniquely numbered, and features a machine-printed signature from Yoko herself.

Strawberry Field, in Liverpool, is run by The Salvation Army and supports vulnerable young people in the area, to give them the chance to succeed.

It set up "Steps at Strawberry Field", a series of individually tailored programmes for young people with learning difficulties or other barriers to employment, and has helped hundreds find employment opportunities after providing them with employment skills, work experience, volunteer placements, and personalised support.

The limited edition acetate of "Give Peace a Chance" will go on temporary display at Strawberry Field visitors centre with tickets raising money for the centre's charitable work.

It will then be sold at a future date to raise further funds.

The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom and Ireland was among 50 charities gifted the vinyl acetates from Yoko Ono and Sean Ono Lennon.

Each organisation was given the record to use to raise funds "for peace and love".

Major Kathy Versfeld, mission director at Strawberry Field, said: "It is an honour for us at The Salvation Army to receive and display this gift from Yoko and Sean at Strawberry Field.

"This recognition of The Salvation Army’s transformative work in communities across the country is truly humbling.

"Given Strawberry Field’s symbolic and historical connection with John Lennon and its ongoing significance as an international landmark of peace and love, it seems the perfect place for this unique piece of history to be - a place which meant so much to John Lennon."

Strawberry Field is a visitor attraction located in Woolton, south Liverpool, located at the iconic site immortalised by John Lennon in The Beatles' hit, "Strawberry Fields Forever".

It was named Small Visitor Attraction of the Year 2023 at the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards.

It was purchased by The Salvation Army in 1934. The organisation opened the site as a children’s home in 1936 and for nearly 70 years the site supported some of Liverpool’s most vulnerable children until it closed in 2005.

Telling the story of John Lennon's childhood and the writing and recording of the iconic song "Strawberry Fields Forever", the centre is home to an interactive visitor exhibition which includes the original ‘Imagine’ piano, the original red gates, and the magical gardens where John played, climbed trees and dreamed as a child.

Through archival footage, photographs, timelines and specialist media guides, visitors to Strawberry Field can experience where John Lennon played and what happened behind the famous red gates.