War Memorials Trust facts for kids

The War Memorials Trust is a special charity in the UK. It works to protect and look after war memorials. These memorials are important places that help us remember people who died in wars. The Trust gives free advice and help. They also offer money (grants) to fix and care for these memorials. They work with groups like Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland. This helps make sure war memorials are kept safe for the future. They remind us of history and the brave people they honor.

What the Trust Aims to Do

The War Memorials Trust has five main goals:

• To make war memorials better. They want to keep their original look and setting. This helps them last a long time.
• To teach people how to care for memorials. This includes how to fix and protect them. They also want people to know about the help the Trust offers.
• To get more people involved with war memorials. They want communities to feel responsible for their local memorials.
• To keep providing money (grants) for repairs. This helps make sure memorials are fixed properly.
• To raise more money for the charity. This helps them continue their important work.

History of the Trust

The War Memorials Trust started as a charity on May 7, 1997. It was first called "Friends of War Memorials." Some of the people who helped start it were Sir Donald Thompson, Winston S Churchill, and Ian Davidson. Sir Donald Thompson became the director, and Winston S Churchill became the president.

The charity's main goal was to teach people. They wanted to encourage good citizenship. They did this by remembering those who died in wars. They also worked to keep war memorials safe.

At the end of 2004, the charity changed its name. It became the War Memorials Trust in January 2005. They also got a new logo.

How the Trust Helps with Conservation

The War Memorials Trust has a team of experts. They give free advice on how to care for war memorials. In 2017 and 2018, they helped with many new cases. They also answered over 1,000 general questions.

Here are some examples of how they helped:

• Warehorne Providence Chapel war memorial: When a chapel closed, the Trust helped. They stored the war memorial safely. They then helped find it a new home. The Trust paid £6,650 to fix it. In 2017, Ashford Borough Museum agreed to display it. It was put there in April 2018.
• Poole Park: A volunteer noticed problems with a memorial in 2007. The Trust worked with the council. They gave advice and visited the site. In 2019, they gave a grant of £31,280. This money helped fix and care for the memorial.

Grant Programs for Memorials

The War Memorials Trust runs grant programs. These programs help war memorials all over the UK. The grants are for fixing and caring for the memorials. In 2017, the Trust won an award for being a great funder.

They gave out a lot of money during the 100-year anniversary of World War I. This was because the UK and Scottish governments trusted the Trust. They knew the Trust had the right skills. So, the Trust helped manage extra money for memorials.

The Centenary Memorials Restoration Fund helped Scotland. It was funded by Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish government. From 2013 to 2019, it gave £1 million. This helped 154 projects in Scotland. Across the UK, the First World War Memorials Programme helped. This was a team effort with Civic Voice, Historic England, Imperial War Museums, and the Trust. The Trust managed £2 million for repair projects. Communities used this time to fix their memorials. The Trust also got another £1 million. This helped them have staff and resources. They made sure all work was done correctly. This prevented damage to old materials like stone and metal.

Now that the 100-year anniversary is over, the Trust still gives grants. But the amount of money available is less.

Here are some projects the Trust has funded:

• Isle of Lewis war memorial: This is a tall tower. It remembers 1,151 men from World War I. It got the biggest grant ever from the Trust. They received £132,100 for big repair works.
• Welsh National War Memorial, Cardiff: A grant of £29,720 helped clean and fix the stone. It also helped with the lead roof and fountain.
• Brookeborough, County Fermanagh: This memorial has a carved lion. It remembers those from the Boer War and both World Wars. The Trust gave a grant of £7,460. This helped with its care and repair.

Special Projects and Campaigns

War Memorials Online

This website helps people understand the condition of war memorials. By collecting information, the Trust can use its resources wisely. They can focus on memorials that are in 'Poor' or 'Very bad' shape. People can add photos and updates to the site. In 2019, the site had over 40,000 records.

In Memoriam 2014

In Memoriam 2014 is a project to protect metal parts of war memorials. The Trust works with SmartWater Foundation. They mark memorials with a special liquid called SmartWater. This helps stop theft and damage.

Some councils that joined this project include:

• Stockton Council
• Fylde Council
• Ashfield District Council
• Walsall Council
• Nottinghamshire County Council
• Derby City Council
• Ellesmere Town Council
• Sutton Council

First World War Memorials Programme

This program was a partnership. It included Civic Voice, Historic England, Imperial War Museums, and War Memorials Trust. The UK government supported it. The program wanted to get people more involved with their war memorials. It also encouraged repairs during the 100-year anniversary of the First World War.

War Memorials Officer Campaign

In November 2010, the Trust started a campaign. They wanted each local council in the UK to have a War Memorials Officer (WMO). A WMO is the main person to contact at the council about war memorials. By 2015–16, 290 WMOs had been found. This project ended after the 100-year anniversary. The charity did not have enough staff to keep it going.

Learning Programme for Young People

In August 2011, the Trust started a program for young people. It was called 'We will always remember.' The goal was to help young people understand war memorials better. This way, they could help protect them in the future. The program gave lesson plans to teachers. It also offered talks for schools and youth groups. Groups like Scouts, Cadets, and Duke of Edinburgh Award participants learned from it. The Learning Programme officially ended in 2019 due to lack of resources. However, the Trust still keeps the 'We will always remember' website online.

Membership and Volunteering

The War Memorials Trust has members. These are individuals and other groups. On March 31, 2018, the charity had 2,641 members.

Many people volunteer for the Trust. Regional volunteers check on local war memorials. They report any that are at risk. They also research memorials and help get them officially listed. Volunteers also promote the charity by giving talks. On March 31, 2018, the Trust had 149 Regional Volunteers across the UK.

See also

• War memorials
• Scottish war memorials
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• War Memorials Register
• American War Memorials Overseas