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War Memorials Trust

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Formation
  
7 May 1997

Location
  
London

Membership
  
2,755

Legal status
  
Registered charity

Region served
  
UK

Purpose
  
protection and conservation of war memorials in the UK

War Memorials Trust works for the protection and conservation of war memorials in the UK. The charity provides free information and advice as well as administering grant schemes for the repair and conservation of war memorials.

Contents

War Memorials Trust works with other organisations such as Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland to better safeguard the future of war memorials in both their social and historical context.

Objectives

The charity’s four objectives are:

  1. To monitor the condition of war memorials and to encourage protection and conservation.
  2. To provide expert advice to those involved in war memorial projects, to act as the specialist organisation for war memorial conservation issues and to facilitate repair and conservation through grants schemes.
  3. To work with relevant organisations to encourage them to accept responsibility for war memorials and recognise the need to undertake repair and conservation work.
  4. To build a greater understanding of war memorial heritage and raise awareness of the issues surrounding war memorial conservation.

History

War Memorials Trust was registered as a charity on 7 May 1997. It was originally known as Friends of War Memorials. Sir Donald Thompson, then MP for Calderdale, Winston S Churchill, grandson of the wartime Prime Minister, and Ian Davidson, a former Royal Marine, were amongst those involved in founding the charity. Sir Donald Thompson became the Director-General of the charity and Winston S Churchill the President.

The Trust’s charity deed outlines the aim "… to educate the public and to foster patriotism and good citizenship by remembering those who have fallen in war by preserving and maintaining war memorials."

At the end of 2004 the Trustees of the charity decided upon a new name, War Memorials Trust, to replace Friends of War Memorials. The change came into effect in January 2005, along with a change of logo.

Conservation advice

War Memorials Trust has a conservation team who provide free advice about war memorial issues. In 2015-16 the charity dealt with 595 new cases and 911 general enquiries (2014: 609 new cases, 1,041 general enquiries).

Cases that the Trust has recently been involved with include:

  • Dalgety Spillers memorial plaques, Wisbech - Dalgety Spillers memorial plaques were held in storage for a decade. In 2014 a successful approach by War Memorials Trust was made to Nestle Purina PetCare UK Ltd, into which Dalgety Spillers was subsumed. The memorials were restored and on display for a special rededication ceremony on 11 November 2014.
  • Todmorden Garden of Remembrance – after several years of working with one of their Regional Volunteers concerned about theft of two Grade II listed statues by the sculptor Gilbert Bayes from the Garden, a grant from War Memorials Trust supported the production of replacements. The reinstated statues were unveiled at a rededication service on 12 October 2014.
  • Chesham war memorial – a press story reporting vandalism of the war memorial was picked up by the Trust. The words 'war is not glorious' had been painted onto the plaques and plinth. War Memorials Trust's Conservation Team contacted Chesham Town Council to offer advice about how to remove the graffiti following best conservation practice to minimise any further damage.

    • Grant schemes

    War Memorials Trust administers grant schemes which between them cover the whole of the UK. These grants are for the repair and conservation of war memorials.

    In 2015-16 War Memorials Trust managed the following Grant Schemes:

  • Centenary Memorials Restoration Fund - funded by Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish government. In 2015-16, 33 offers were made to the value of £314,025 (2014: 40 offers, £296,945)
  • War Memorials Trust Grants Scheme - funded by First World War Memorials Programme and War Memorials Trust fundraising. Originally named the Small Grants Scheme in 1998 it has evolved over the years. In 2015-16, 100 offers were made to the value of £537,239 (2014: 135 offers, £150,090)
  • Grants for War Memorials - funded by the First World War Memorials Programme and Historic England. It was first launched in 2000 taking many forms over the years. This scheme did not make any Grant Offers in 2015-16 but historic projects were managed

    • Projects funded by the Trust include:

  • Bootle war memorial
  • Norwich Roll of Honour
  • Cheltenham war memorial – awarded £24,400
  • Far Eastern Prisoner of War steam locomotive

    • First World War Memorials Programme

    This partnership Programme, supported by the UK government through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, is comprised of Civic Voice, Historic England, Imperial War Museums and War Memorials Trust. The Programme aims to improve public engagement with their war memorials throughout the centenary of theFirst World War, as well as to encourage repair and conservation works.

    In Memoriam 2014

    In Memoriam 2014 is a partnership between War Memorials Trust and the SmartWater Foundation to protect war memorials with metal elements from theft and damage by marking them with a forensic liquid called SmartWater.

    Councils that have taken advantage of the scheme include:

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

    • War Memorials Officer campaign

    In November 2010, the Trust launched a campaign to identify a War Memorials Officer (WMO) at each local authority in the UK. A WMO is the main point of contact at that council regarding war memorial issues for the public and the Trust. By the end of 2015-16, 290 War Memorials Officers had been identified.

    Learning programme

    In August 2011 War Memorials Trust launched its youth focused learning programme, 'We will always remember.' The aim of this programme is to build a greater understanding of war memorial heritage among young people so that they can continue to protect war memorials in the future as custodians. The learning programme provides National Curriculum linked lesson materials for primary and secondary school teachers, and offers talks or assemblies for schools and youth groups such as Scouts, Cadets and Duke of Edinburgh Award participants.

    Membership

    War Memorials Trust has a membership consisting of individuals and organisations. On 31 March 2016 the charity had 2,755 members (2014: 2,798).

    Volunteering

    Regional volunteers undertake a range of activities such as monitoring the condition of local war memorials and reporting those at risk to the Trust, researching and applying for the listing of war memorials and promoting the charity by giving talks and organising events. War Memorials Trust had 188 Regional Volunteers throughout the UK on 31 March 2016 (2014: 181).

    References

    War Memorials Trust Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA