Catherine Loveday facts for kids
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Catherine Loveday (born 1938) is an English campaigner. She works to make sure that people who died in wars are remembered on war memorials in London. Because of her hard work, many names have been added to war memorials in places like East Barnet, New Barnet, and Hendon.
Contents
About Catherine Loveday
Early Life and Inspiration
Catherine Loveday was born in June 1938. Her father, Stanley Frederick Chapman, died in 1941 during the Second World War. He was a gunner in the Royal Artillery, which is part of the army. His name is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
When Catherine was a child, she noticed that her father's name was not on the local war memorial in East Barnet. This made her wonder why. She went to East Barnet Grammar School from 1949 to 1954. She was known as Iris Chapman back then. After finishing her O levels (exams taken around age 16), she left school.
Later Life and Education
Catherine Loveday grew up, got married, and had a son and a daughter. She worked as an adviser for science students at the Open University. This university allows people to study from home.
Later in life, Catherine decided to go back to school herself. She studied at the Open University and earned her first degree when she was 50 years old. Five years later, she earned another degree. She is very proud of going back to school as an adult.
Her Campaigning Work
Catherine Loveday's main goal has been to add names of fallen soldiers to war memorials. She wanted to make sure these heroes were not forgotten.
Adding Names to East Barnet Memorial
Because her father's name was missing, Catherine started a campaign to have it added to the East Barnet war memorial. In 1995, her father's name was finally added. At first, it was the only name from the Second World War on that memorial. But Catherine didn't stop there. She worked hard and later succeeded in adding the names of 35 more men from the Second World War to the East Barnet memorial.
Expanding Her Work to Other Memorials
After her success in East Barnet, Catherine moved on to help other communities. She focused on the war memorials in New Barnet and Hendon.
In 2011, Catherine helped add 136 names to the New Barnet memorial. These names were placed on a new stone plaque. Then, in August 2015, she helped add 228 names to the Hendon war memorial. In September 2015, a special ceremony was held to honor the newly added names on the Hendon memorial.
Catherine is still working to add even more names. She has found about 1,000 names for the Finchley memorial and 500 more for the Edgware memorial. She is currently raising money to pay for new plaques for these memorials.
Awards and Recognition
In March 2011, Catherine Loveday received a Civic Award from the London Borough of Barnet. This award recognized her important work in remembering those who died in wars.
Involvement with War Memorials
Catherine Loveday is a trustee of the Barnet War Memorials Association. This means she helps manage and care for the war memorials in the Barnet area.
